South Korean President To Meet US And Japanese Leaders At Spain NATO Summit

JAKARTA - South Korean President Yoon Suk yeol will meet the leaders of the United States and Japan on Wednesday during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Madrid, an official in the presidential office said on Sunday.

The trilateral meeting, which will be the first since September 2017, is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. local time, although changes could be made, the official said.

President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are unlikely to hold separate meetings, the official added.

Separately, a Japanese government official also told Reuters that the three leaders would meet on June 29.

Earlier this week, South Korea said it plans to form a delegation to NATO in Brussels as Seoul pushes to strengthen its partnership with the organization and play a bigger role on the global stage.

Yoon, who was sworn in on May 10, will be the first South Korean president to attend a NATO summit, as the country, along with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, have been invited as partners to the Asia-Pacific organisation.

Although the June 29-30 meeting in Madrid is expected to focus on the Ukraine crisis, Yoon plans to revive international cooperation against North Korea's nuclear program, the presidential office said.