South Korea, the U.S. and Japan are likely to hold three-way talks on the sidelines of next week's NATO summit.
The meeting is likely to be held on Wednesday the 29th at the start of the two-day summit in Madrid, Spain.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported on Friday that the Japanese government is making final adjustments for it to be held on that date.
That's the likely timing also according to an official from Seoul's presidential office, who stressed, though, that there's not yet been a final decision.
This would be the first top-level meeting between the three countries in more than four years.
It would also be the first trilateral meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida.
The three are expected to discuss regional security issues, including North Korea's repeated provocations amid expectations for a seventh nuclear test.
Bilateral talks between Seoul and Tokyo, however, still appear unlikely.
Japan's Asahi Shimbun said that the Japanese government is reluctant because it does not believe South Korea has concrete plans to address bilateral issues such as Japan's subjection of Koreans to wartime forced labor.
Other Japanese media also report that while an official summit between Yoon and Kishida is being put on hold, it does appear possible for them to have short so-called "pull-aside talks."
On the sidelines of the summit, South Korea also plans to hold bilateral talks with about 10 other countries to discuss a wide range of topics, including nuclear power, semiconductors and renewable energy.
Min Suk-hyen, Arirang News.