With the series of summits between South Korea, the US, China, and Japan, we are keeping a close eye on trends in the US, China, and North Korea.

Amid the deadlock in South Korea-US tariff negotiations, we must find a way to resolve the issue… Restoring South Korea-China relations is also a challenge.

Fully prepared for the possibility of a surprise North Korea-US summit… Also serving as a bridge nation for US-China talks

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Special Reporting Team = The main stage of the 'Super Week of Summit Diplomacy' faced by President Lee Jae-myung is about to open.

Having warmed up at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit, which was a prelude to the summit, President Lee has entered into an all-out effort to produce results through"pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests" through the main event, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju.

According to the Office of the President on the 28th, President Lee will begin his Gyeongju schedule by delivering a special speech at the opening ceremony of the APEC CEO Summit on the 29th.

During this period, the Korea-US summit is scheduled for the 29th, the Korea-China summit is scheduled for November 1st, and the Korea-Japan summit is also expected to be held around the 30th.

The US-China summit, which is drawing global attention, is expected to take place on the 30th, and the possibility of rapid progress in North Korea-US talks cannot be ruled out.

This president must demonstrate the"comprehensive art of diplomacy" by maximizing his capabilities, including conducting multilateral meetings flawlessly, while simultaneously managing a series of bilateral summits with significant issues at stake, and keeping a close eye on the movements of the United States, China, and North Korea.

◇ The 'biggest task' is the Korea-US summit... It's unclear whether a deal will be reached on both tariffs and security negotiations.

Among the many tasks facing this president, the biggest one is the Korea-U.S. summit.

This is the second meeting between President Lee and US President Donald Trump, following the Washington summit in August. It is significant in that it marks the shortest reciprocal visit between the leaders of South Korea and the US.

But on the table remains the unfinished task of tariff negotiations, which have not been concluded since the last meeting.

Despite the recent series of high-level negotiating teams visiting the United States to try to find a last-minute common ground, the outlook is growing that it will be difficult to reach an agreement at this summit as well.

"The investment method, the investment amount, the timeline, how we share losses and distribute dividends, all of these are still issues," the president said in a recently released interview with Bloomberg.

In the case of security negotiations, a significant portion of the documentation has been completed, including details on revising the ROK-US nuclear agreement and modernizing the ROK-US alliance. However, if tariff negotiations remain unresolved, the announcement is likely to be postponed. This is because the US may want to hold onto tariff negotiations until the very end as leverage.

In this case, it is expected that President Lee's task at this summit will be to find a clue to a quick resolution, rather than simply ending the summit with a"no deal."

Of course, there is still the possibility that the two leaders will sign the agreement through a"political decision," as President Trump said,"We are very close to a deal."

In this case, the key will likely be how well the president can maintain the"commercial rationality" he has been advocating and convince the public.

◇ The key to the South Korea-China summit is"continued cooperation." The South Korea-Japan summit will establish a "new relationship."

This president's one-on-one summit diplomacy does not end with the South Korea-U.S. summit.

A summit is scheduled for the first of next month between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is at odds with him over hegemony in the international order.

This is the first visit by the Chinese president to South Korea in 11 years, since 2014. This summit is significant as it could serve as a touchstone for determining whether South Korea-China relations, which have been deteriorating until recently, can recover.

As China will also take over the presidency of the next APEC summit, the primary focus of the summit is expected to be on the continuation of friendly and cooperative relations. However, China is also expected to closely check South Korea and the US amid the US-China confrontation.

During his visit to the U.S. in August, the president declared,"We cannot return to the past 'Anmi-Gyeongjung' (a state of reliance on the U.S. for security and China for the economy)."

The assessment of the feasibility of "pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interests" is likely to change depending on how President Lee secures the continuity of cooperation with China, which cannot help but suspect this is a signal of"Anmi-gyeongmi" (dependence on the United States for both security and economy).

Finding wise solutions to sensitive security-related issues, such as the West Sea structure issue, and enlisting China's cooperation for peace on the Korean Peninsula, including President Lee's"END (Exchange, Normalization of Relations, Denuclearization) Initiative," are also considered tasks.

The summit between Japan and South Korea with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, expected to take place on the 30th, is also significant.

The key is whether the chemistry he demonstrated by restoring shuttle diplomacy with former Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba early on can be continued with Prime Minister Takaichi, who is considered to have right-wing tendencies.

This is also intertwined with whether 'strengthening cooperation between Korea, the US and Japan,' which is the premise and central axis of this president's pragmatic diplomacy, can be firmly maintained.

The president has been preparing for substantive talks, including dispatching National Security Office Director Wi Seong-rak to Tokyo to coincide with Prime Minister Takaichi's inauguration.

Will the North Korean leaders meet? If they do, the"pacemaker theory" could gain traction.

Even as he carries out this breathless summit diplomacy, it is expected that President Lee's eyes and ears will be turned toward the northern part of the Korean Peninsula.

This is because President Trump, while embarking on his Asian tour, is repeatedly sending love calls to North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un, saying,"It would be great to meet him."

North Korea has remained silent, but expectations are growing that a similar situation will recur, given the somewhat impromptu nature of the 2019 Panmunjom meeting.

The general consensus is that even if President Trump and Chairman Kim meet, it will be difficult for substantive talks to take place due to insufficient practical preparations.

Even so, simply reopening the door to dialogue between the North Korea-US leaders could bring about significant changes in the security environment on the Korean Peninsula.

In particular, if President Lee's Korean Peninsula strategy, which calls itself a"pacemaker" and encourages President Trump to take the lead in dialogue, proves effective, it could provide momentum for the"END" plan.

Therefore, the president is expected to be on high alert for the possibility of North Korea-US dialogue, emphasize thorough preparation for any eventuality, and repeatedly review the situation.

Earlier, Oh Hyun-joo, 3rd Deputy Director of the National Security Office, said at a press conference the previous day regarding a North Korea-US summit,"I think the possibility is very slim," but added,"Like the 2019 Panmunjom summit, where preparations were made in 30 hours, we have the capacity to prepare internally within that amount of time."

◇ Focus on the US-China summit, the"biggest variable"… Coordinating the "Gyeongju Declaration" as the chair country.

Another variable that will significantly impact the evaluation of the outcome of this"Super Week of Summit Diplomacy" is the US-China summit scheduled for the 30th.

Depending on what conclusions the two leaders reach regarding the US-China trade war and Asia-Pacific security issues, both APEC's multilateral spirit and President Lee's pragmatic diplomatic strategy could gain or lose ground.

Ahead of the talks, the two countries, which had been locked in a dogfight over China's strengthened rare earth export controls and the US's 100% additional tariffs, have recently stopped their hard-line measures and are now seeking an agreement.

If the two leaders discover the possibility of reconciliation through this summit, South Korea's diplomatic standing as a"bridge nation" could also be elevated. President Lee is expected to closely monitor the flow of US-China dialogue and devote his efforts to supporting the smooth progress of the talks.

Furthermore, as the APEC chair, coordinating the"Gyeongju Declaration" and demonstrating that compromise and agreement are still possible amidst the turmoil in the international order could be an opportunity to demonstrate diplomatic leadership.

In addition, President Lee's tasks include leading future agendas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and low birth rates, and achieving tangible economic results through various economic events held in conjunction with APEC.

(Reporter Ko Dong-wook)