U.S. Congressman Proposes Trilateral Summit with ROK and Japanese Legislatures in Opposition to Trump’s USFK Withdrawal Plan
It will be interesting to see if this idea of a trilateral summit between the U.S., ROK, and Japanese legislatures ever happens. It seems it would be hard to do with the ROK National Assembly controlled by the Korean Democractic Party which has many anti-Japanese members who would not want to be seen with anyone from the Japanese government:
This file photo, taken Aug. 18, 2023, shows South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L), U.S. President Joe Biden (C) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attending a press conference at Camp David in Maryland. (Yonhap)
In an April interview with U.S. magazine TIME, Trump suggested that Washington could withdraw the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea if South Korea, a “wealthy” country, does not increase its contributions for the upkeep of the U.S. troops.
The remarks added to deepening security concerns fueled by Pyongyang’s unceasing push to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and its burgeoning military cooperation with Russia.
In the face of the North’s persistent threats, Bera drove home a reassuring message: The alliance remains sturdy.
“I think it’s as strong as ever, maybe even stronger than it was a decade ago,” he said.
The lawmaker also underscored Congress’ efforts to advance trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, which has firmed up against the backdrop of growing North Korean threats.
“We’ve been talking about the legislative equivalent of what happened at Camp David, where you could get members of Congress, leaders in the Diet and leaders in the National Assembly together to just reaffirm that outside of the executive branch,” he said.
He was referring to the first-ever standalone trilateral summit that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held at Camp David in Maryland in August, in a culmination of their three-way collaboration.
Yonhap
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