Anchor: President Yoon Suk Yeol has set the stage for a possible breakthrough in cooperation on extended deterrence with the U.S. and Japan days ahead of a trilateral summit at Camp David. In reference to supply chain risks associated with China, Yoon said Seoul will boost related cooperation with Washington and Tokyo while also taking part in discussions on export controls.
Our Bae Joo-yon has more.

Report: President Yoon Suk Yeol has asserted that the world will never accept North Korea as a nuclear power, adding that the complete denuclearization of the regime is the international community’s clear and consistent goal.

He then called for a multinational push to make the North realize that there are consequences to its continuous, illegal nuclear and missile development and that such activity would only lead to further isolation and more severe crises.

The president made the remarks in a written interview with Bloomberg News published on Wednesday ahead of Friday's summit with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at Camp David.

According to the report, Yoon was receptive to the possibility of separate consultations on extended deterrence among the three countries like the one established by Washington and Tokyo in 2010.

The remarks are in line with his Liberation Day speech in which he highlighted the importance of security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan against the North’s nuclear and missile threats. Yoon told the audience at the ceremony that the Camp David summit will be a milestone in three-way coordination for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

On the best ways to address supply chain risks associated with China, Yoon said the three countries plan to discuss ways to boost related cooperation, including sharing information on supply chains and establishing an early warning system.

On joining Washington’s efforts to slap curbs on the export of key items to China, Yoon only said Seoul will continue to consult closely with major countries on the operation of export control systems.

Meanwhile, the presidential office said Yoon will be departing for the summit as scheduled on Thursday after attending the final day of the three-day mourning period for his father who passed away on Tuesday.
Bae Joo-yon, KBS World Radio News.