State-funded geological institutes of South Korea and China are hoping Japan will join their joint research of a dormant volcano in North Korea, a South Korean research institute said Monday, in what could be a rare bit of cooperation among the three nations on the Korean Peninsula's highest peak, Mt. Baekdu.



Volcanologists from the three nations' geological institutes -- the Korean Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, the China Geological Survey and the Japan Geological Survey -- will hold their first trilateral meeting in Beijing on Wednesday to seek a three-way joint study into volcanic activity on the mountain that sits on the North Korea-China border.



The 2,740-meter mountain last erupted in 1903 and has been dormant since then, but experts say there are potential signs of eruption, citing topographical surveys and satellite images.



KIGAM and the China Geological Survey signed a memorandum of understanding last year for a joint study of the mountain, the KIGAM said in a statement.



"Both Korea and China expect Japan to participate in the project," said Kim Dae-in, a spokesman for the KIGAM in the statement.



Citing similar volcanic activity between Japan and the mountain, the KIGAM said, "If Korea, China and Japan conduct a three-way study, it would predict a possible eruption of Mt. Baekdu in a more precise manner."



During this week's meeting in Beijing, the research institutes from the three nations are scheduled to sign a three-way agreement. (Yonhap)