CAMP DAVID PRINCIPLES:A NEW COMPASSFOR JAPAN-U.S.-ROK
COOPERATIONAUGUST 18, 2023
Full Text: https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/statement/202308/18kyodo_kaiken.html

On August 18 at Camp David, Maryland, in the United States, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio attended
a Japan-U.S.-ROK Summit with the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States ofAmerica, and H.E. Mr. YOON Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea (ROK). After the meeting, the“Camp David Principles,” the Japan-U.S.-ROK Joint Leaders’ Statement, and the “Commitment to Consultamong Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States” were released. At the joint press conference by
the leaders of the three countries, Prime Minister Kishida gave an opening statement as follows.
First of all, I express my deepest sympathies for thedevastating damage caused by the wildfires in Maui,
Hawaii, and send my prayers to the victims of the disaster.
Japan has decided, as a means of support to the affected
people, to offer a total of $2 million worth of assistance.
We will proactively provide assistance to the affected
people and for the earliest recovery of the affected areas.
Today, I visited Camp David, where the three of us
spent a truly meaningful time. I would like to express myheartfelt gratitude to Joe for his invitation. The meeting
was a valuable opportunity to further deepen relations oftrust with Joe and President Yoon.
This summit was the first-ever Japan-U.S.-ROKSummit Meeting to be held as a standalone event, insteadof in the sidelines of multilateral conferences. Numerous
historical meetings have been held here at Camp David,and it is a great honor to have printed a new page in its
history.
Solid bilateral relations serve as the foundation forJapan-U.S.-ROK cooperation. The three of us haveunderstood this principle more than anyone else andhave put this in practice. This year, I visited the United

On August 18, the Japan-U.S.-ROK
Summit took place at Camp David,
Maryland, in the United States, the venue
for numerous historical meetings.

States in January, President
Yoon visited Japan in Marchand the United States in April,
I then visited the ROK in May.
These visits have strengthened
our mutual ties.
Today, the free and open
international order basedon the rule of law is at stake.
Russia’s aggression against
Ukraine has shaken the very
foundation of the international
community. While attempts to unilaterally change thestatus quo by force in the East and South China Seas
continue, North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat
continues to grow.
Under such circumstances, unleashing the potentialof strategic Japan-U.S.-ROK cooperation today is aninevitability and what the times demand. Today, thethree of us express our determination to open up the“New Era of Japan-U.S.-ROK partnership.”
I would like to explain how we will develop ourtrilateral cooperation from three perspectives.
First, we will reinforce coordination between theJapan-U.S. Alliance and the U.S.-ROK Alliance with aview to elevating the trilateral security cooperation to ahigher level. At this summit, we concurred to hold theJapan-U.S.-ROK multidomain joint exercises on an annualbasis. Furthermore, regarding the real-time sharingof North Korea’s missile warning data on which weconcurred in November last year, we have taken
initial action, an important step toward launching themechanism by the end of this year.
Moreover, we concurred in establishing a new trilateralworking group on North Korea’s cyber activities,
considered to be the source of finance for nuclear andmissile development, and in other matters.
Secondly, we will promote Japan-U.S.-ROK
cooperation and expand its areas. Regarding the response
to North Korea, in addition to efforts to strengthen
regional deterrence and response capabilities, we
confirmed the need to strengthen cooperation toward
the full implementation of sanctions. We also concurredin working closely together at the United Nations Security
Council, where all three countries will be members in2024. At the same time, we shared the recognition that theThe Japan-U.S.-ROK joint press conference after thesummit on August 18. The three leaders took themeeting as an opportunity to declare a “new era oftrilateral partnership,” building upon respective
strong bilateral relationships.

door is open for dialogue with North Korea. In addition,
I stated that the abduction issue involving Japanesenationals is a humanitarian issue with a time limit, andI again received the strong support of Joe and President
Yoon for the immediate resolution of this issue.
Toward the realization of a “free and open Indo-Pacific,”
we concurred in working together through the “IndoPacific Dialogue” and development cooperation, among
others, with particular emphasis on the coordination ofcapacity building assistance on the maritime security
front regarding ASEAN and Pacific Island countries.
On the economic security front, we also concurred inpromoting cooperation in areas such as critical andemerging technologies and supply chain resilience.
Thirdly and lastly, we will consolidate the JapanU.S.-ROK cooperation framework. By doing so, wewill lay the foundation for strengthening the trilateral
cooperation in a continuous and stable manner. Afterconfirming that the three countries will promote multilayered cooperation at all levels, we concurred in holding
the trilateral summit meeting at least once a year. The
ministers of foreign affairs and defense and national
security advisors will each meet at least once a year as well.
We will also be holding meetings between our financial
ministers as well the commerce and industry ministers.
At a time when the international community is ata historic turning point, we will set the “Camp David
Principles” issued today as a new compass for Japan-U.S.ROK cooperation so that we will vigorously implement
concrete cooperation. Together with Joe and President
Yoon, I will continue to work to further strengthen thestrategic Japan-U.S.-ROK cooperation in order to fully
defend a free and open international order based on therule of law.

The above text was republished from the website of the Prime Minister’s Office of Japan:
https://japan.kantei.go.jp/101_kishida/statement/202308/18kyodo_kaiken.html