U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol smile during an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework event at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, Calif., U.S., Nov. 16, 2023. Reuters-Yonhap

U.S. President Joe Biden has proposed holding a trilateral summit with the leaders of South Korea and Japan by the end of this year, according to South Korea's presidential office Saturday.

The proposal was made through U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a dinner hosted by the prime minister of Laos at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, Thursday (local time).

Biden said the proposed summit would build on the "Camp David spirit," referring to the historic trilateral summit held at Camp David last year.

In response, Yoon was quoted as saying: "I understand. We will continue to communicate closely. I expect an opportunity to meet again by the end of this year."

The trilateral summit has been widely anticipated, with Washington emphasizing the importance of strengthening the three-way partnership and placing it on a strategic footing for the long term, and with the U.S. presidential election just a month away.

The potential meeting also comes at a crucial time, with Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba taking office.

"The aim is to ensure that trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan remains robust, regardless of the leadership changes in Japan or the upcoming U.S. election," said a presidential official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

In August of last year, Yoon, Biden and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held their first-ever standalone trilateral meeting. That summit led to a series of landmark agreements, marking a new era of cooperation among the three nations.

In a related move, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is scheduled to visit South Korea and Japan next week to discuss trilateral cooperation.

During his visit, Campbell is expected to discuss plans for the trilateral summit, which could coincide with upcoming multilateral meetings, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and the Group of 20 summit scheduled for next month.

Additionally, discussions will likely cover the possibility of a heightened provocation by North Korea around the upcoming U.S. presidential election. (Yonhap)