U.S., Japan, South Korea head into Camp David summit with fast-paced diplomacy

Pyongyang shrugs off 50-plus discussions in 2022 as missile launches continue

From left, Sung Kim, Takehiro Funakoshi and Kim Gunn, the top U.S., Japanese and South Korean representatives on North Korea, met on July 20 in Japan's Nagano prefecture. (Photo by Ryo Nemoto)

RYO NEMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

July 21, 2023 02:04 JST

TOKYO -- Senior officials from the U.S., Japan and South Korea spoke more than 50 times last year to present a united front on North Korea, but this appears to be doing little to deter Pyongyang's pursuit of long-range nuclear weapons.

The brisk pace of meetings has continued into this year. U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol are slated to meet at Camp David on Aug. 18 at Biden's invitation, the first gathering of the three leaders outside of a broader international conference.