A Glimpse of Closeness at Japan-US-South Korea Leadership Joint Press Conference: A ‘Special Opportunity’ That Could Not Be Obtained through Broadcast

U.S. President Joe Biden participated in the opening joint press conference for a leadership summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David, a presidential mountain retreat on the outskirts of Washington, D.C.

This was a rare opportunity to set foot into Camp David, which has become a diplomatic stage. I took my smartphone so that I could take pictures of the inside of the facility, but due to security issues, I was limited to photographing only the location of the press conference.

Although I was not able to explore Camp David in detail, the meeting of the three leaders was worth seeing, as there were scenes that offered a glimpse into the relationship between the comrades in leadership and the closeness of the high officials of each country.

During the meeting, Biden turned his body 90 degrees to face Kushida, who was next to him, as Kushida spoke to him, carefully listening to the simultaneous translation.

I have watched Biden’s joint press conferences several times, but this one was a spectacle that exuded a greater sense of closeness toward his companion. At an event in July related to the Group of 7 summit, it was difficult to figure out whether the intention of Biden’s high praise for Kushida was staged or sincere, so I was paying attention.

In the press conference room, South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin greeted high officials from the White House and the State Department in a friendly manner, and I could see that he was aiming to build broad relationships. A certain U.S. government official told reporters that this was a “special opportunity” that could not be obtained through a TV broadcast.