The leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea will agree to hold trilateral summits on a regular basis, at least once a year, when they meet next week, diplomatic sources said Thursday.
The three countries are planning to mention the agreement in a joint statement on the results of their meeting, to be hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden at his Camp David retreat near Washington on Aug. 18, according to the sources.
Among other points, they are expected to agree to hold joint drills of the three countries' armed forces around the Korean Peninsula on a regular basis, improve intelligence sharing and work more closely on new areas, such as cybersecurity and supply chains for key industrial sectors, the sources said.
Their statement will also likely say that the three countries will begin real-time information sharing about North Korean missile launches at an early date.
Strongly welcoming the improved ties between Japan and South Korea, whose bitter wartime memories have long and often divided them, the Biden administration seeks to boost cooperation with its key Asian allies.
The idea of Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol expressing their commitment to regular summits was proposed by the U.S. administration, according to the sources.
In the face of China's growing clout and North Korea's belligerence, the momentum among U.S. officials to institutionalize the three-way framework is greater than ever.
The upcoming summit will mark the first time for Biden to welcome foreign leaders to Camp David since he took office in 2021.
It will also be the first standalone summit between the leaders of the United States, Japan and South Korea, as past trilateral discussions were all held on the sidelines of international meetings.
On Wednesday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that Camp David has been "a historic setting for summit meetings and significant foreign policy conversations" when asked by a reporter about the choice of venue.
Kirby also said Biden will host Kishida and Yoon for what the United States believes will be "a discussion of historic proportions in terms of the importance of this trilateral relationship to the Indo-Pacific region and, frankly, to the world."
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Japan, U.S., South Korea mull regular summits to demonstrate close ties
Biden to host summit with Japan, South Korea on Aug. 18: White House
