1. Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam met with Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations (vice minister-level) Tran Dac Loi on June 15, and exchanged views on ways to advance the ROK-Vietnam relations, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Vice Minister Lim said that the ROK-Vietnam relations have developed remarkably until recently in a range of areas since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1992, and hoped that the bilateral relations will advance further under the New Southern Policy, being actively pursued by the ROK government to elevate the ROK-ASEAN relations to a higher level.

o Vice Minister Lim and Vice Chairman Loi especially shared the view that the two countries need to further enhance their relations by faithfully implementing the agreement reached during President Moon Jae-in’s successful state visit to Vietnam in March.

3. In addition, Vice Minister Lim explained in detail the latest progress in efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and establish peace on the Peninsula, including the inter-Korean summits (April 27, May 26), and the US-North Korea summit (June 12), as well as the ROK government’s consistent efforts towards that. The Vice Minister also asked for the Vietnamese side’s unchanging interest and support for the ROK government’s Korean Peninsula policy.

o Vice Chairman Loi welcomed the success of the inter-Korean summits and the US-North Korea summit, and spoke highly of the ROK government’s efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

* unofficial translation