1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha talked to Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland of Canada over the phone on October 27 at the request of the Canadian side. Over the phone, the two top diplomats exchanged views on the North Korean nuclear issue and discussed ways that the Republic of Korea and Canada can engage in close, strategic communication on the occasions of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as well as the APEC and the ASEAN-related summits in November.

2. With regard to the North Korean nuclear issue, the two Ministers expressed satisfaction with ongoing close, ministerial communication since their bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) meeting in August. They drew a common understanding that as the ROK and Canada’s shared position calls for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue through sanctions and pressure on as well as dialogue with the North, the two countries should work together as partners in seeking a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue by deterring the North from launching any further provocations and thereby alleviating tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and by managing the situation on the Korean Peninsula in a stable manner.

3. Minister Kang, pointing out that the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, set to take place in February 2018, will come at a very significant time, asked for the Canadian government’s active participation in and support for the sporting event so as to make it an important milestone toward eased tensions on the Korean Peninsula and in inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation.

° Minister Freeland responded that Canada, a big fan of ice hockey and other winter sports, will render strong support to the ROK government with the latter’s efforts toward the success of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

4. The two Ministers, voicing hope that the forthcoming APEC and ASEAN-related summits will serve as significant opportunities for communication on the North Korean nuclear program and other security and economic issues of the region, agreed to engage in bilateral strategic communication on the sidelines of the aforementioned summits.


* unofficial translation