The leaders of South Korea, Japan and China issued mixed messages on North Korea's nuclear program during their ninth summit held in Seoul on Monday. 

While President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida both called for the denuclearization of the North, Chinese Premier Li Qiang did not mention the topic in their joint news conference held after the summit. 

Yoon told reporters that the three countries reaffirmed that maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula is a common interest and responsibility, adding that to secure such peace and stability, it is essential to work toward North Korea’s denuclearization by faithfully implementing UN Security Council resolutions. 

Kishida, on his part, said the summit reaffirmed that denuclearizing the North and realizing stability on the peninsula is a common interest for the three countries. 

Li, however, did not use the term “denuclearization,” and urged related parties to maintain self-control and take precautionary steps to not make matters get worse or more complicated.

During the previous trilateral summit in 2019, China agreed that the three sides should work toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.