U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed the proposal to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a state dinner on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos on Thursday, according to the official.
Yoon responded positively, saying, "I look forward to an opportunity to hold a meeting within the year," the official added.
Yoon held a summit on Thursday with Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and agreed to continue efforts to improve bilateral relations.
In a related development, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is scheduled to visit Seoul and Tokyo next week for trilateral consultations.
During his visit, Campbell is expected to discuss the timing of the proposed summit, which could take place on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit or the G20 summit, both scheduled for next month.
