1. On January 24, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with Marco Rubio, a ranking member of the Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea as part of his East Asian tour, to exchange views on the ROK-US relations as well as the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.

2. After welcoming the first visit to the ROK by Senator Rubio, Minister Yun mentioned that the ROK-US alliance is the linchpin for peace and stability in the region and asked for support of the US Congress to move the bilateral ties further forward.

° In response, Senator Rubio, pointing out that such US allies as the ROK are pillars for the US policy toward Asia, voiced his hope for continued advances in the ROK-US alliance.

3. Minister Yun elaborated on the situation in North Korea, where uncertainty has been growing since the execution of Jang Song-thaek in December 2013. He pointed out that North Korea should not only voice its willingness but take substantive actions to improve inter-Korean relations and to denuclearize itself.

° Minister Yun explained the ROK government’s policy toward North Korea, which calls for laying the groundwork for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula while improving inter-Korean relations in a principled manner.

4. The Minister and the Senator exchanged views on the increasingly fluid situation in Northeast Asia of late and drew a common understanding that the ROK and the US should work closely together to overcome this situation and promote peace and cooperation in the region.

° With regard to the ROK-Japan relations, Minister Yun elaborated on the ROK government’s position and, in particular, underscored the need for Japan to take sincere actions to stabilize the bilateral relations. 


                Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation