1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha attended “a Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on Security and Stability on the Korean Peninsula” in Vancouver, Canada, on January 16, during which she shared with the other participants an assessment of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and discussed with them diplomatic ways to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and to seek progress in that regard.

° The meeting co-hosted by the US and Canada brought together minister-level officials of some 20 countries, including Foreign Minister Freeland of Canada, Secretary of State Tillerson of the US, Foreign Minister Kono of Japan and Foreign Secretary of Johnson of the UK.

2. In her welcoming remarks and statements in sessions, Minister Kang, bringing attention to the currently ongoing inter-Korean talks aimed at North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, stressed that the Republic of Korea government, building on the progress in the inter-Korean dialogue, will work closely with the international community in forging “favorable conditions for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue as well as the establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

° In addition, the Minister reiterated the need for the international community to thoroughly implement sanctions and share exemplary implementation cases “so as to compel North Korea to change course and come to the table for denuclearization talks.”

° The Minister, underscoring the ROK government’s plan to continually seek synergistic effect from inter-Korean talks and dialogue for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, asked for the participating countries’ support for and cooperation on the efforts to make a success of the PyeongChang Olympics, which will serve as an important opportunity to that end.

3. The participating countries, positively noting the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, -- those related to progress in inter-Korean dialogue -- agreed to be united in faithfully implementing sanctions against North Korea in response to the North’s nuclear and missile programs, grave threats to the global community, while continually working to resolve the issue through dialogue.

° The countries, in a bid to improve the effectiveness of sanctions against North Korea that have lately started to produce tangible results, agreed to better implement UN Security Council resolutions in various areas and step up coordination among the countries in that regard.

° The countries, expressing support for the position of the ROK government, a party directly related to issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, stressed that they will cooperate in order for improvements in inter-Korean relations to help mitigate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and resolve the North Korean nuclear issue in a peaceful manner.

4. The Vancouver Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to bolster the base of support for the ROK government’s efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as an opportunity to constructively discuss ways to strengthen the international community’s solidarity toward a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

* unofficial translation