1. The eleventh Republic of Korea-Japan security policy consultation took place at the latter country’s Ministry of Defense on March 15, bringing together officials of the foreign and defense ministries of the two countries.

° The ROK delegation included Director-General for Northeast Asian Affairs Kim Yong-kil of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, deputy head of the International Policy Bureau Park Cheol-kyun of the Ministry of National Defense, and other officials of the two Ministries. The Japanese side was comprised of Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau Kenji Kanasugi of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, director for international policy Shuji Yuge of the Ministry of Defense and other members of the two Ministries.

2. In the first consultation in about three years since April 2015, the two sides engaged in an extensive and in-depth exchange of views on matters of mutual concern, including the North Korean nuclear issue and the security situation in Northeast Asia, national defense and security policies of the ROK and Japan, and the progress in bilateral cooperation on those matters.

° The ROK side shared with the Japanese side the agreement to hold inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit talks and other recent developments in the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The Japanese side commended the ROK for playing a leading role in those endeavors.

° The Japanese side informed the ROK side of Japan’s defense and security policy moves, such as the current direction of those policies and efforts to beef up the US-Japan alliance. Meanwhile, the ROK delegation explained the country’s national defense policy and the way forward for its alliance with the US.

3. The two sides drew a common understanding that the bilateral security policy consultation served as a useful platform, allowing the foreign affairs and defense authorities of the two countries to engage in a sincere exchange of views and thereby to share with each other their respective perceptions of the security situation in Northeast Asia as well as to better understand each other’s national defense and security policies.

* unofficial translation