SEOUL - In a significant diplomatic development, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is slated to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the United States next week. This high-level summit is scheduled to occur on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit, as reported by Japan's Kyodo News.

According to Yonhap News Agency, citing government sources, the meeting between Yoon and Kishida will take place in San Francisco. The leaders are expected to discuss their cooperation on addressing North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. Additionally, both Yoon and Kishida are scheduled to visit Stanford University to deliver speeches on November 17th. Their addresses are anticipated to cover topics related to diplomatic ties and trilateral cooperation with the U.S. on security and other issues.

Earlier, South Korea's presidential office announced that President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee would embark on a three-day visit to San Francisco starting next Wednesday. During this visit, President Yoon will attend the APEC summit and engage in bilateral meetings.

The forthcoming summit between Yoon and Kishida follows their participation in a trilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at Camp David in August. In that meeting, the leaders agreed to bolster three-way cooperation on various matters, including cybersecurity and the North Korean issue.

The upcoming talks between the South Korean and Japanese leaders are of considerable significance, given the current regional dynamics and the challenges posed by North Korea.