1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha attended the high-segment of the Conference on Disarmament (CD) held in Geneva, Switzerland, on February 27. In the meeting, she underscored the importance of an international unity toward a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and articulated the Republic of Korea government’s position on the work to strengthen the international disarmament/non-proliferation regime.

° The meeting brought together UN Secretary-General Guterres, Executive Secretary Zerbo of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia and minister- or vice minister-level officials of some 30 countries for discussions on issues concerning international disarmament and non-proliferation, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, Syria’s use of chemical weapons and nuclear disarmament.

2. Minister Kang brought renewed attention to the momentum for peace and reconciliation built through inter-Korean dialogue held around the time of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games, which had been wrapped up on February 25 after being successfully held, adding that efforts will be made for this momentum to lead to a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and the establishment of a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

° The Minister also emphasized the need for the international community to thoroughly implement the UN Security Council sanctions resolutions on North Korea and thereby to induce the North to denuclearization talks, relaying the ROK government’s commitment in that regard.

° The Minister went on to stress that the ROK government, unwaveringly seeking to achieve its goal of North Korea’s denuclearization, will work to resume denuclearization talks with the North in a bid to build a perpetual peace on the Korean Peninsula, asking for support and cooperation of the international community to that end.

3. Minister Kang mentioned that the CD, the only multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations that had drawn up major treaties as frameworks for the disarmament and non-proliferation regime, needs to play a more active role in the efforts to promote international security and peace. In particular, she stressed that in order to make a success of the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the CD member states should spearhead the work to bring positive changes.

* unofficial translation