US, Japan, South Korea to hold summit in August

South Korean, US and Japanese leaders will meet in August in America, Seoul’s presidential office said Thursday, as the three nations increase military cooperation to counter North Korea’s growing nuclear threats.

Relations between Pyongyang and Seoul are at one of their lowest points, with diplomacy stalled and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calling for increased weapons development, including tactical nukes.

In response, President Yoon Suk Yeol has pulled South Korea closer to long-standing ally Washington, and sought to bury the hatchet with former colonial power Japan in a bid to contain North Korea.

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In April, Seoul and Washington said that if Pyongyang ever used its nuclear weapons against the allies, it would face a nuclear reaction and the “end” of its regime.

“The Korea-US-Japan trilateral summit is scheduled to be held in the United States in August,” Seoul’s presidential office said Thursday, adding the specific date and location would be “announced later”.

The Yonhap News Agency reported the meeting will take place on August 18 at Camp David near Washington, citing unnamed sources.

Talks next month

US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim told reporters in Japan on Thursday that the talks would be held next month, without mentioning the date or location.

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He made the comment before meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in the resort town of Karuizawa, where the envoys condemned North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches.

The announcement comes days after Seoul and Washington held their first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in the South Korean capital.

On Tuesday, a nuclear-armed American submarine made a port visit to Busan for the first time since 1981.

Pyongyang last week said it had successfully tested the Hwasong-18, its new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, for the second time.

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Analysts have said the tests represent a major breakthrough for North Korea’s banned weapons programmes.

South Korea assault charges, North Korea detention

The announcement also comes as Washington confirmed Tuesday that a US soldier — who had been jailed in South Korea on assault charges — is believed to have been detained by North Korea after crossing the border.

On Thursday, Sung Kim said the United States was “working very hard to ascertain information about his wellbeing”.

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“We are actively engaging to ensure his safety and return,” he said.

Pyongyang has a long history of detaining Americans and using them as bargaining chips.