1. On December 15, Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam met with a delegation from the US National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP), composed of Senior Fellow Evan Revere of the Brookings Institution and President Ralph Cossa of the Pacific Forum CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies), among others, during which the two sides exchanged views on the North Korean nuclear issue and the situation in Northeast Asia.

※ The NCAFP, a US think tank founded in 1974 and composed of experts in academic, business and government sectors, seeks to help the US achieve its foreign policy goals.

- Ahead of its visit to the Republic of Korea, part of a field trip designed to learn about the situation in Northeast Asia, the NCAFP delegation visited Taiwan and Beijing for exchanges of views with major figures thereof.

2. Vice Minister Lim brought attention to the fact that since North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile on November 29 and declaration of the completion of nuclear armament, the ROK and the US, in closer coordination than ever, have been doing their utmost to achieve their shared goal of a peace resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

° On that note, the Vice Minister extended appreciation to the NCAFP for helping opinion leaders in the US better understand issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, and asked it to remain attentive to the efforts to beef up the ROK-US alliance and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

3. The US delegation stated that it will continue robust activities with regard to security issues on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and remain supportive of the ROK-US alliance as well as peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia.


* unofficial translation