U.S. President Joe Biden hopes to cement those ties with a summit at Camp David, the storied presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains, this Friday.
To be sure, previous efforts to build closer ties between South Korea and Japan have stumbled.
China blasted the move, seizing on a chance to embarrass Tokyo ahead of the Camp David summit.
No specific action by the trio in Camp David is expected to sharply escalate rhetoric with Beijing.
Just last month, Kim hosted Russia's defense minister and a Chinese Communist Party Politburo member in Pyongyang for an event celebrating the end of the 1950-1953 war between North and South Korea.
Persons:
Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Yoon Suk, didn't, Yoon, Biden, Camp David, Dennis Wilder, George W, Bush, Kishida, Kim Tae, hyo, David, Donald Trump, Kurt Campbell, East Asia Mira Rapp, Hooper, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Brunnstrom, Hyonhee Shin, Josh Smith, Tim Kelly, Sakura Murakami, Don Durfee, Alistair Bell
Organizations:
White, REUTERS, South, Camp, Georgetown University, Republican, East Asia, NATO, Chinese Communist Party Politburo, Thomson
Locations:
Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, SEOUL, TOKYO, Japan, South Korean, North Korea, Seoul, Tokyo, East Asia, Taiwan, U.S, Camp, Maryland's Catoctin, South Korea, Korean, China, Korea, Washington, Pacific, Beijing, Russia, Pyongyang, North