President Yoon reaffirms trilateral ties with Korea, Japan, and the U.S., and proposes solutions to global crisis at APEC.

(San Francisco= Yonhap News) Reporters Ahn Yong-soo and Jeong Ah-ran = President Yoon Seok-yeol is returning home on the 17th (local time) after completing a 3-day APEC summit diplomacy schedule.

President Yoon focused on demonstrating Korea’s leadership in the midst of global complex crises such as climate change and supply chain collapse at the 30th APEC Summit, his first since taking office.

He also made efforts to strengthen economic cooperation and secure support for the 2030 Busan World Expo (Busan Expo) by contacting leaders of various countries during the summit.

In particular, he showed strong ties with the United States and Japan, following the Camp David Summit last August.

However, a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, which could have been a symbolic scene for the recovery of South Korea-China relations, did not take place.

◇ Reconfirming South Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance… Seventh summit with Kishida

A separate South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit was held at APEC.

It is interpreted as an effort to maintain the momentum of trilateral cooperation, just three months after the Camp David Summit.

U.S. President Joe Biden reportedly said during a private meeting that lasted about 10 minutes after the commemorative photo shoot, “Thanks to President Yoon Seok-yeol and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, I was able to lighten my burden as the President of the United States,” according to Kim Tae-hyo, the first deputy director of the National Security Office.

Despite the busy APEC schedule, they arranged time for a commemorative photo shoot and private conversation, showing their trilateral bond to both domestic and international audiences.

The leaders of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan also attended the second summit of the U.S.-led economic cooperation body, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), held on the sidelines of APEC, to discuss supply chain cooperation.

President Yoon showed trust with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida by meeting him several times during the APEC period.

President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida agreed at the seventh South Korea-Japan summit held this year to work harder to make the achievements of South Korea-Japan relations felt in various fields.

They also attended a roundtable at Stanford University separately from APEC to discuss cooperation in advanced technology between South Korea and Japan, and between South Korea, the U.S., and Japan.

The meeting between President Yoon and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which South Korea and China had been continuously coordinating behind the scenes, did not take place in the end.

The leaders of South Korea and China met face-to-face for the first time in a year since the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November, but only shook hands and chatted for about three minutes before the start of the first APEC session.

Both leaders had tight schedules, and it was particularly difficult to coordinate the schedule of President Xi, who visited the U.S. for the first time in six years.

However, some argue that this shows that the South Korea-China relationship, which has been desired for a long time, is still not smooth in the midst of the close South Korea-U.S.-Japan relationship.

The strategy to improve South Korea-China relations by leveraging the solid South Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance was difficult to achieve this time.

President Xi held meetings with President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida in turn during his four-day visit to the U.S.

◇ Presenting Korean leadership in the midst of global complex crises… Bilateral diplomacy

President Yoon proposed a direction for APEC to seek in the midst of multiple challenges such as the Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas armed conflict, supply chain instability, and climate crisis at the summit themed ‘Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.’

In Session 1, which focused on the climate crisis, he explained South Korea’s role and contribution in three aspects: the use of carbon-free energy, the transition to eco-friendly mobility, and the resolution of climate disparities.

In Session 2, he emphasized the need to strengthen a norm-based order and declared that South Korea will play a leading role in the international community’s cooperation to build a ‘resilient supply chain.’

President Yoon also focused on economic diplomacy, such as the APEC CEO Summit and a meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook, taking advantage of his visit to San Francisco, represented by Silicon Valley.

At the CEO Summit, attended by CEOs of big tech companies and leaders of various countries, totaling about 1,200 people, he proposed to promote the strengthening of supply chain resilience as APEC’s top priority cooperation project, emphasizing ‘global economic connectivity.’

Before attending the CEO Summit, President Yoon also met with GM Vice Chairman Amin and Visa Chairman Alfred Kelly. Vice Chairman Amin promised, “With the bold regulatory reforms and system improvements in line with global standards by the Korean government, we have gained confidence in our business activities. We will continue to increase our production in Korea.”

The first meeting between President Yoon and CEO Cook also drew attention.

When CEO Cook said, “Without Korea’s help, Apple couldn’t have reached its current position. We will continue to cooperate and invest so that capable Korean companies can grow in the future,” President Yoon expressed the Korean government’s active support policy.

President Yoon also met with various national leaders, such as Chile, Peru, Vietnam, Canada, and Mexico, on the sidelines of APEC.

According to the presidential office, President Yoon mentioned the need for cooperation against North Korea-Russia military cooperation and also made efforts to appeal for support for Busan, which is ahead of the final vote for the Expo host city.

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airan@yna.co.kr