1. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam visited on September 30-October 1 Angola, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and the Republic of Korea’s third-largest trading partner in Africa. During the visit, the Vice Minister held meetings with vice minister of external relations Angela Braganca, Carlos Alberto Fonseca, foreign policy advisor to the President, and deputy oil minister Anibal Silva. In the meetings, the two sides discussed in depth situations on the Korean Peninsula and in other regions of the world as well as ways to boost economic and trade cooperation.

2. In their meeting, the vice ministers of the two countries discussed in depth the situation on the Korean Peninsula; the possible ROK participation in Angola’s efforts to implement its “economic diversification” policy; and ways to increase high-level exchanges.

° With regard to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Vice Minister Lim extended appreciation to Angola, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2015-2016 and its president for March 2016, for its role in the lead-up to the adoption of Security Council Resolution 2270 on North Korea and for submitting a report on the implementation of the resolution. He asked the Angolan government to continue taking part in international efforts to sanction and pressure North Korea in response to its fifth nuclear test, including by thoroughly implementing Security Council resolutions.

° Vice minister Braganca, strongly condemning North Korea’s nuclear development as an action posing a threat to the stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, expressed Angola’s commitment to fully support and comply with international decisions regarding the North Korean nuclear issue.

° In the press conference on the heels of the vice-ministerial meeting, vice minister Braganca openly mentioned that Angola is concerned over North Korea’s nuclear test in the same way that the ROK is, clearing expressing the Angolan government’s opposition to nuclear development by North Korea.

° Vice Minister Lim, taking note of Angola’s potential for growth, pointed out that the ROK, with its experiences in economic development and industrialization, could make substantive contributions in the course of the implementation of Angola’s “economic diversification” policy; and highlighted the need to increase economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

° The two vice ministers, recognizing the need for an increase in high-level exchanges between the two countries, agreed to robustly engage in such exchanges in the near future.

3. In his meeting with Fonseca, foreign policy advisor to the President, Vice Minister Lim underscored the need for the international community to send a stern, united message to North Korea in response to its nuclear development, and asked the Angolan government to remain cooperative in the international efforts to sanction and pressure North Korea across the board.

° Presidential advisor Fonseca noted that Angola supports sanctions resolutions on North Korea, as the country had experienced a civil war and therefore clearly recognizes the danger that nuclear weapons pose to the Korean Peninsula and the neighboring region. He expressed Angola’s resolve to enforce sanctions against North Korea thoroughly and across the board.

4. Vice Minister Lim also met with deputy oil minister Silva, during which the two sides discussed ways to step up economic cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner, including the possibility of the ROK government’s participation in the Angolan government’s active efforts to implement its “economic diversification” policy.

° Deputy oil minister Silva, who has made three visits to the ROK, expressed a strong commitment to cooperation with the ROK, especially a keen interest in Korean companies’ presence and operations in Angola.

5. Vice Minister Lim’s visit to Angola marked the first of its kind by a foreign minister- or vice-minister-level official of the ROK since the one in May 2004 by then Minister for Trade Hwang Doo-yun. The Vice Minister’s visit is seen to have served as an opportunity to strengthen international coordination in pressuring North Korea in response to its fifth nuclear test as well as to increase high-level exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between the ROK and Angola.


* unofficial translation