1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Tae-ho attended a Retreat on UN Security Council Reform* (May 9-10, Seoul) held at the Lotte Hotel Seoul on May 9, and delivered opening remarks. In the remarks, he stressed the need and importance of Security Council reform.

* The Republic of Korea held an informal meeting in the form of a retreat from May 9 to 10 to promote understanding of key issues of Security Council reform. The ROK invited like-minded countries on Security Council reform, and Southeast Asian and Central Asian countries.

2. Vice Minister Lee said that a reformed Council should reflect international political realities, but at the same time, Member States should make sure that the Council becomes, as a result of the reform, more transparent, more effective, more democratic, more accountable and more representative. He also underlined the need to make efforts for the reform to move forward on the basis of broad consensus among Member States.

3. The ROK, as a member of the Uniting for Consensus (UfC)* group on Security Council reform, will continue to participate in a constructive manner in discussions on Security Council reform.

* The UfC group, composed of 12 countries including the ROK, is against the expansion of permanent membership, and supports expanding the Security Council through an increase in non-permanent seats.

* unofficial translation