Pres. Yoon: Seoul is open to further discussions on extended deterrence

President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that South Korea remains open to further discussions on extended deterrence in the South Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral summit, which will take place at Camp David on August 18. Against the backdrop of escalating competition between the U.S. and China for technology supremacy, the leaders of the three nations will jointly emphasize the reinforcement of cooperation in establishing technology standards for emerging core technologies. These encompass supply chain artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and space technology. A senior government official revealed that the three leaders will deliberate on strategies to counter China’s assertive posture.

During an interview with Bloomberg, which was released on August 16, President Yoon underscored that North Korea’s complete denuclearization remains a resolute and unaltered objective of the international community, inclusive of both South Korea and the U.S. He emphasized that, under any circumstances, the world will not recognize North Korea as a nuclear weapons power. Responding to speculation about Japan's potential participation in the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a bilateral cooperative framework between South Korea and the U.S., the presidential office emphasized that it is time to focus on smooth stabilization and deepening of discussions within the NCG.

Turning to matters of supply chain cooperation, President Yoon said that the three leaders would delve into specific strategies regarding the information exchange of supply chains of the three countries and establish an early warning system (EWS). “We will engage in collaborative research and partnership concerning pivotal emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum, and space technologies, which will drive future growth,” President Yoon said. “Our concerted efforts will be geared towards the establishment of global benchmarks in these critical technology sectors.”


Kwan-Seok Jang jks@donga.com