1. First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lim Sung-nam, who is on a visit to Japan to attend the Republic of Korea-US-Japan vice foreign ministerial meeting, met with US Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken at the ROK Embassy in Japan on January 16. The two sides exchanged views on a range of issues, including a response to the latest nuclear test by North Korea, the ROK-US relations, the situation in Northeast Asia, and global partnership.

2. The two sides noted with appreciation that the ROK and the US have been taking measures in a swift manner since North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, while sharing the same understanding of the situation and the same response strategy through close cooperation at each level, including between the Presidents, foreign and defense ministers, and the chief negotiators for the Six-Party Talks. The two sides also agreed to work together to make sure that North Korea pays a corresponding price for the nuclear test through strong and comprehensive sanctions against North Korea.

o To that end, the two sides agreed to pursue a swift adoption of a new Security Council resolution, engage in diplomacy that is differentiated from the one in the past so as to put pressure at various levels, and further strengthen the ROK-US combined defense posture.

3. The two sides also agreed to facilitate various high-level strategic channels in order to further reinforce the ROK-US comprehensive strategic alliance, which encompasses issues on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia and around the world, in 2016, building upon the diplomatic accomplishments that the two countries attained last year, including the ROK-US summit in October last year.

4. Deputy Secretary of State Blinken will make his third visit to the ROK from January 19 to 20 since assuming the post, and hold further discussions with relevant officials.


*unofficial translation