From left: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio at the summit at Camp David, August 2023. (Source: AP)

This proposal was made during a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at a dinner hosted by the Lao Prime Minister at the ASEAN Summit on October 10 (local time).

Mr Biden said the proposed summit would build on the “Camp David spirit”, a term referring to the historic trilateral summit held at Camp David last year.

In response, President Yoon is said to have replied: “I understand. We will continue to communicate closely. I hope to have the opportunity to meet again later this year.”

The potential trilateral summit comes at a crucial time, with Japan having a new Prime Minister, Ishiba Shigeru, and the US presidential election approaching.

“The aim is to ensure that trilateral cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan remains strong, regardless of the leadership change in Tokyo or the upcoming U.S. election,” an unnamed official from the South Korean presidential office said.

Last August, Mr. Yoon, his counterpart Biden and former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held the first independent trilateral meeting, which resulted in a series of landmark agreements that marked a new era of cooperation between the United States and its two Northeast Asian allies.