1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha attended the World Journalists Conference 2018, held at the Press Center in Seoul on March 5, and hosted a luncheon for 63 foreign journalists from 46 countries. In the luncheon, Minister Kang and the journalists from around the world exchanged views on the Republic of Korea’s key foreign policies.

2. In her remarks at the luncheon, Minister Kang explained the current situation regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, and how the ROK government will respond to it.

o Minister Kang said that inter-Korean talks which resumed on the occasion of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games contributed to creating the momentum required to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully.

o Minister Kang also stressed that to keep the momentum alive, talks between the US and North Korea should take place, while North Korea continues to refrain from provocations, and that the ROK government will continue to closely work together with the international community, including major partners in the region, in the process.

3. The World Journalists Conference is an international event that has been hosted by the Journalists Association of Korea every year since 2013. This year’s World Journalists Conference takes place from March 4 until 11. During the event, participants will engage in a discussion under the theme “media’s role in denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and promoting world peace,” and experience a range of Korean cultures and meet with leaders of provincial governments during visits to Seoul, Incheon, Busan and Jeju.

4. The Foreign Ministry has participated in the World Journalists Conference every year and explained the ROK government’s position on key diplomatic and security issues, and thereby has helped journalists around the world better understand the ROK’s foreign policy.

* unofficial translation