Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with Special Representative for North Korea Stephen Biegun of the United States Department of State on the morning of September 11. In the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the current situation, including developments in improving inter-Korean relations, and the results of the visit to North Korea by the special envoys of the Republic of Korea, and discussed the way forward.

Minister Kang congratulated Special Representative Biegun on his inauguration, and asked for his active roles to continue to make positive progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and thereby achieve the goal of complete denuclearization and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula, which the leaders of the ROK, North Korea, and the US agreed on.

Special Representative Biegun expressed appreciation, and said that he would play his roles to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and to establish peace on the Peninsula based on strong collaboration between the ROK and the US. He also said that he would work to continue close consultations and coordination at each level between the two countries.

Minister Kang stressed that it is important for the ROK and the US to continue to make tangible progress based on close collaboration, as important diplomatic events, including an inter-Korean summit and the UN General Assembly, will take place in September. Special Representative Biegun agreed with her, and offered to concentrate their diplomatic efforts on doing so.

* unofficial translation