1. Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul attended in his capacity as the head delegate of the Republic of Korea the 59th Annual Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, which was held in Vienna, Austria, from September 14 through 18. In a keynote speech on September 15, he explained the ROK government’s policy on issues concerning nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear security and nuclear energy, including the North Korean nuclear issue.

◦ Vice Minister Cho, taking note of the recently concluded Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program, urged the international community to make joint efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, the last remaining issue of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

- In addition, he called on North Korea to abandon all its existing nuclear programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner; to fully comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and IAEA safeguards obligations; and to become a responsible member of the international community.

◦ Vice Minister Cho, citing the upcoming role of the ROK Foreign Minister as the Chair of the second IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security in 2016 and the election of the ROK as the Chair of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for 2016-2017, highlighted the ROK’s role and contributions in enhancing nuclear security and nuclear non-proliferation.

◦ In a bid to build consensus on the envisioned consultative mechanism on nuclear safety in Northeast Asia as part of efforts to implement the ROK government’s Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative (NAPCI), the Vice Minister mentioned that the ROK will host in Seoul in October the eighth Top Regulators’ Meeting (TRM), a meeting among the nuclear safety regulators of the ROK, Japan and China; and a Northeast Asia Nuclear Safety Cooperation Conference (the third TRM+), which will bring together delegates from the US, Russia, Mongolia and other countries in the region as well as relevant international organizations. He asked for support and cooperation of the international community in this regard.

◦ The Vice Minister explained the ROK’s policy to develop new nuclear technologies, including pyro-processing, sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), and very-high-temperature reactors (VHTRs); as well as the ROK-IAEA cooperation, including the Peaceful Uses Initiative (PUI) and the ROK’s contribution to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund (NSF).

2. On the sidelines of the IAEA meeting, Vice Minister Cho met bilaterally with the US head delegate to the meeting, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, on September 14 and discussed with him follow-up measures for the implementation of the ROK-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

◦ The Vice Minister and the Secretary agreed to consult closely with each other for an efficient implementation of follow-up measures, including the successful launch of a high-level committee, which is to be established pursuant to the ROK-US Nuclear Cooperation Agreement.

◦ The ROK and the US, sharing the view that nuclear energy plays an important role in addressing climate change, agreed to continue cooperation to increase peaceful use of nuclear energy.

3. On September 15, Vice Minister met with IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano to discuss key matters of mutual concern, including the North Korean nuclear issue; implementation of the Iranian nuclear deal; and the Northeast Asia Nuclear Safety Cooperation Conference.

◦ The two sides, sharing the view that the international community needs to respond in unison to the North Korean nuclear issue, agreed to consult closely with each other on ways to prevent North Korea from conducting further provocations and to monitor and to verify the developments in North Korea’s nuclear activities.

◦ Vice Minister Cho, highlighting the importance of the IAEA’s role in the implementation of the Iranian nuclear agreement, mentioned that the ROK government will join international efforts for the implementation of the deal.

◦ In addition, the Vice Minister spoke about the ROK’s plan to host the eighth Top Regulators’ Meeting (TRM) and the Northeast Asia Nuclear Safety Cooperation Conference (the third TRM+). The Director-General expressed the IAEA’s willingness to extend support and cooperation in that regard.

4. On September 15, Vice Minister Cho also met with Secretary-General for Foreign Affairs Michael Linhart of Austria. In the meeting, the two sides exchanged in-depth views on the North Korean nuclear issue; ways to increase ROK-Austria cooperation, including bilateral economic cooperation; ways to expand cooperation on the international stage, including the UN, and on key international issues, such as the refugee issue.

5. Vice Minister Cho also met with ROK nationals working at international organizations based in Austria and leaders of the Korean community in the country. He took the opportunity to offer them encouragement, learn about their challenges and ask them to continue their efforts to enhance the ROK’s international standing.


* unofficial translation