South Korea has proposed holding top-level diplomatic talks with Japan and China late next month, which Tokyo is positively considering, a Japanese media report said Thursday, in what could open the way for the first trilateral summit among their leaders in four years.
"South Korea, as the rotating chair of the trilateral framework, has sounded them out about the three-way talks on around Nov. 26 in Busan, and Japan is positive about the plan," Japan's Kyodo News said in its English-language report, citing diplomatic sources.
The envisioned talks in the southeastern port city of Busan would likely bring together South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin, along with his Japanese and Chinese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Wang Yi, respectively.
The top diplomats may also hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of their gathering, Kyodo said, adding that final arrangements will be made for the talks "taking into consideration Beijing's responses and the latest international situations."
The Japanese report anticipated the possible ministerial talks could pave the way for a trilateral summit, which last took place in the southeastern Chinese city of Chengdu in December 2019.
An official in Seoul's foreign ministry said the three countries have concurred on holding the diplomatic talks in Busan and are at the stage of scheduling a suitable date.
Three-way talks among Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo typically start with working level discussions and progress into ministerial talks, and a summit, raising the prospect of a long-stalled summit this year.
In a high-level meeting of foreign officials last month, South Korea, China and Japan agreed to resume their trilateral summit at the "earliest convenient time" and swiftly convene a ministerial meeting for preparations. (Yonhap)
