1. On August 2,Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono inSingapore, where she is staying to attend ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’Meetings, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including issues onthe Korean Peninsula, and ways to advance relations between the ROK and Japan.

2. Ministers Kangand Kono took note that close communications and cooperation between the ROKand Japan were underway to achieve complete denuclearization and establishpeace on the Korean Peninsula, and agreed to continue efforts to faithfullyimplement the agreements that came out of inter-Korean and US-North Koreasummits during the ARF Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and on other occasions.

※The ROK-US/ROK-Japan/ROK-US-Japan foreign ministerial meetings took place onJune 14 during US Secretary of State Pompeo’s visit to the ROK immediatelyafter the US-North Korea summit, and on July 6 during Secretary Pompeo’s visitto Japan right after his visit to North Korea.

o Minister Kangshared the latest developments in inter-Korean relations, and stressed theimportance of close cooperation with the international community to ensure thefaithful implementation of the Panmunjeom Declaration. Minister Kono offered topursue close collaboration among the ROK, the US and Japan in efforts to makeprogress in the situation.

3. The twoMinisters discussed ways to further advance the ROK-Japan relations, takingadvantage of the 20th anniversary of the “Joint Declaration ona New ROK-Japan Partnership towards the 21stCentury (so-called Kim Dae-jung-Obuchi Joint Declaration)” in Octoberthis year.

o Minister Kang talkedabout the activities carried out by the ROK’s “task force to facilitatecultural and people-to-people exchanges between the ROK and Japan” (launched onMay 28), and Minister Kono shared developments in Japan’s efforts to launch itstask force.

o The two Ministersagreed to continue consultations to devise more concrete measures to enhance substantivecooperation based on the results of discussions at the two countries’ taskforces.

o In particular,Minister Kang asked for the Japanese side’s active efforts to conclude thefishery negotiations between the ROK and Japan as early as possible, andMinister Kono said that Japan would pay attention to it, and make relatedefforts.

4. Furthermore, thetwo Ministers exchanged views on exchanges between the leaders and high-levelofficials of the two countries, including President Moon Jae-in’s visit toJapan. They also explained to each other their countries’ positions onhistorical issues, including the “comfort women” issue, and the issue ofvictims of forced labor.

* unofficialtranslation