S. Korea leader seeks breakthrough in deterring Kim Jong-un

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the 78th anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, Pool)

SEOUL (Bloomberg): South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (pic) said the world would never accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons power while opening the door to a possible breakthrough in cooperation on deterrence with the US and Japan when leaders from the nations meet in a landmark summit later this week.

Yoon expects the summit with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Joe Biden will lead to agreement on ways to enhance their capabilities to respond to the nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, he said in a written interview with Bloomberg News before leaving for the Friday meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in rural Maryland.