1. Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Ojea Quintana, who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea, on July 2.

2. Vice Minister Cho talked about the agreement on humanitarian measures, including reunion of families separated by the Korean War, reached following the recent inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits, and expressed hope that increased exchanges and cooperation with North Korea resulting from such progress would have a positive impact on efforts to make tangible improvements in the human rights situation of the North Korean people.

o Vice Minister Cho also spoke highly of the roles that the Special Rapporteur was playing in exploring ways to work together with the international community to improve the human rights situation in North Korea.

3. Special Rapporteur Quintana welcomed the latest progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and hoped that such momentum would continue. He also stressed that in order to make tangible improvements in the human rights situation in North Korea, cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms, including himself, needs to increase further.

4. The visit to the ROK by Special Rapporteur Quintana marks his fourth since he took office in August 2016. The purpose of this visit is to gather information necessary for writing a report that will be submitted to the UN General Assembly in October this year.

o During his visit to the ROK (July 2-10), the Special Rapporteur will meet with officials from the Foreign Ministry, and the Ministry of Unification, as well as North Korean defectors and members of civil society, and hold a press conference (at 10:30, July 10, Press Center in Seoul).

* unofficial translation