South Korea, Japan and China agreed to hold a trilateral summit soon

Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) — South Korea, Japan and China agreed Monday to hold a trilateral summit soon, possibly early next year, the Foreign Ministry said.

The agreement was reached during a meeting in Tokyo between South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won, Japanese Senior Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, the ministry said in a statement.

At the meeting, senior diplomats agreed to discuss specific dates for the summit, which is expected to take place in Japan.

During the previous summit in Seoul in May, the three leaders agreed to streamline these summits.

Following the meeting, Chung held separate talks with his Japanese counterpart to discuss bilateral cooperation, the ministry said.

The talks are believed to have included discussions on Japan’s compliance with recommendations regarding its mine complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site linked to forced labor of Koreans during the war.

The Sado mine complex – one of the world’s largest gold producers in the 17th century – was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July after Japan agreed to reflect on the site’s full history, including its links to Korean forced labor.

A memorial service for the victims is expected to be held within a year, and the South Korean side has requested the participation of senior Japanese government officials.