Pres. Park meets with Chinese, Japanese foreign ministers

South Korean President Park Geun-hye will meet with Chinese and Japanese foreign ministers on Saturday at a time when the possible deployment of a U.S.-developed advanced missile defense system in the South and Seoul`s proposed joining of a China-led international development bank have become major diplomatic issues in Northeast Asia.

Seoul`s presidential office Cheong Wa Dae announced Friday that Park will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida before they hold a trilateral foreign ministers` meeting with their South Korean counterpart, Yun Byung-se. While Cheong Wa Dae did not disclose any details about the meeting with the president, attention is being drawn to whether they will exchange views on issues of mutual interest including the proposed deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system and the issue of joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank led by China.

At the trilateral foreign ministers` meeting to be held in Seoul on Saturday, the first such one in three years, the top diplomats from the three countries are expected to try to look as friendly as possible.

They have agreed not to have any question-and-answer session at a news conference to be held after the trilateral talks in order to prevent the rare friendly atmosphere from being spoiled.

Separately, President Park met with 489 representatives from the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Korea, an international volunteer group consisting of young entrepreneurs, at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday. Founded in 1952, the JCI Korea is conducting diverse forms of civic engagement and voluntary works including organ donation campaigns.

The representatives expressed their views and made suggestions on socio-economic issues such as economic innovation, job creation for young generations and national reunification. They also announced a "pledge" to help reinvigorate the slumping economy.

Cheong Wa Dae said that the meeting was aimed at promoting the president`s public communication with young leaders who are devoted to regional development and volunteer works.

soof@donga.com