1. Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon visited Japan on December 21 and 22 for a meeting with Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Kenji Kanasugi of the Japanese Foreign Ministry in their capacity as the Republic of Korea and Japanese head delegates to the Six-Party Talks.

2. The ROK and Japanese head delegates to the Six-Party Talks, following up on the recent bilateral foreign ministerial meeting, reaffirmed the principle of peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue; and discussed ways that the two countries, while enforcing increasingly tough sanctions and putting pressure on North Korea until it abandons its nuclear ambitions, can brace themselves for various possible changes in the situation and induce the North to come forward for serious dialogue.

° Special Representative Lee, highlighting the importance of managing the situation on the Korean Peninsula in a stable manner and bracing thoroughly for all possible developments regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, particularly asked for the Japanese government’s attention to and cooperation on the efforts to make the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in February 2018 a significant opportunity to build a momentum of peace.

° Director-General Kanasugi, attaching significance to the PyeongChang Olympics as a peaceful, successful sporting event to come, suggested that the two countries work more closely together on their diplomatic efforts to achieve progress toward the denuclearization of North Korea.

3. The two top delegates, in a bid to respond swiftly to changes in the situation regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, agreed to continue close consultations and communication and thereby maintain the momentum of high-level consultations between the two countries, which has been in place since the bilateral foreign ministerial meeting.


* unofficial translation