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 ) [ 우리 아이 영어 글쓰기 , 어떻게 교육 하 나요 ] 	 더 많 은 기사 보 러 가 기 → [ 코리아 헤럴드 홈페이지 ] [ 트위터 ] [ 페이스북 ] 	 구독 신청 1588 - 0533 	 <ⓒ KoreaHerald ( www . koreaherald . com ) 무단 전재 및 재 배포 금지 >