1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with US Secretary of State John Kerry on February 12. In the meeting, the two top diplomats reviewed the overall progress in seeking UN Security Council measures and bilateral sanctions on North Korea in response to the country’s nuclear test and launch of a long-range missile, and discussed in detail possible next steps.

2. Minister Yun mentioned that just ahead of his visit to Munich, he had visited the UN, where he had met with the UN Secretary-General and the Ambassadors of the fifteen member states of the UN Security Council, including the US, and brought their attention to the gravity of North Korea’s latest provocations of nuclear test and long-range missile launch. He added that all the sides had shared the view on the need for special responses to make North Korea pay a high price.

° The Minister went on to say that he had highlighted the need for adopting a “terminating resolution” that is stronger and more effective than expected and can make North Korea realize that it cannot survive unless it gives up its nuclear ambitions and changes its strategic calculations.

° Secretary Kerry explained in detail the progress made so far in the discussions on a Security Council resolution. In addition, he mentioned that Minister Yun’s multifaceted diplomatic efforts at the UN and in Munich are greatly helping the US with its own diplomatic efforts; and that like the UN Security Council, which mentioned in its presidential statement that it would seek a prompt adoption of a Security Council resolution, the US government will further accelerate relevant discussions.

° The Secretary suggested that the Republic of Korea and the United States, through continued close bilateral coordination and continued collaboration among the five member states of the Six-Party Talks minus North Korea, show a unified resolve of the international community, while continuing various efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.

3. Minister Yun explained the background behind and the expected effect of the ROK’s significant decision to fully suspend the operations of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex. In that regard, he mentioned that the decision was made to take part in the international community’s effective sanctions and encourage other countries to join them aside from a Security Council resolution.

° The Minister proposed close cooperation for the ROK’s decision to bear fruit in a mutually complementary way with the US Congress bill on sanctioning North Korea, Japan’s unilateral sanctions and measures of the international community, including the EU, to pressure North Korea.

° Secretary Kerry, calling the ROK government’s decision to fully suspend the operations of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex a very courageous and significant step, commented that the decision had sent to North Korea a strong message that only by making a strategic determination to give up its nuclear and missile ambitions can it survive. He expressed full support for the ROK government’s decision.

4. The Minister and the Secretary engaged in an extensive exchange of views on diverse fields of sanctions that could hurt North Korea.

5. The two sides agreed to respond strongly to any provocations from North Korea based on the steadfast commitment of the US to the defense of the ROK.

6. The two ministers, after making efforts to win international cooperation at their series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, agreed to continue the ROK-US strategic coordination on such occasions as the ROK-US high-level consultation in February and the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in March.

7. The Minister and the Secretary noted with appreciation that the bilateral high-level consultative mechanisms in such fields as North Korean issues, nuclear energy and economy are moving smoothly forward, as agreed at the ROK-US summit talks in October 2015, and discussed the schedule for the ROK-US high-level diplomacy for the year 2016, including the Nuclear Security Summit.

° They also agreed to further enhance the ROK-US global partnership on global issues, including environment, climate change, human rights, the political stabilization of Syria and refugee assistance, on such occasions as the “Our Oceans Conference,” which will take place in the US in September to seek ways to preserve marine environment and resources.


* unofficial translation