1. On the occasion of the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN 2018, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha met bilaterally with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Chile Roberto Ampuero on September 11. In the meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress in the Republic of Korea-Republic of Chile relations and exchanged views on multilateral cooperation, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and ways to expand substantive cooperation.

2. Minister Kang noted with appreciation that Chile is a special country for the ROK, as the country, for the first time among the South American countries, endorsed the government of the Republic of Korea in 1949 and is the first country the ROK has concluded an FTA with; and that the ROK and Chile, sharing such universal values as democracy, market economy and human rights, have been advancing their friendly and cooperative relations.

° Minister Ampuero, agreeing with Minister Kang, voiced hope that the meeting, which came at an appropriate time amid the lately growing tide of trade protectionism, in particular, will serve as an opportunity to reinforce substantive cooperation between the two countries in economy and other sectors.

3. With regard to the APEC summit 2019, Minister Ampuero expressed hope that the ROK will make constructive contributions by using its experiences and technology in diverse fields, including e-commerce.

° Minister Kang stated that the ROK will make utmost efforts toward the success of the forthcoming APEC summit and work closely with its chair country in preparing for the event.

4. Minister Kang explained the current situation on the Korean Peninsula, asking the Chilean government to remain supportive of the efforts to achieve complete denuclearization and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

° Minister Ampuero responded that Chile has consistently supported the ROK government’s position regarding the North Korean nuclear issue and will continue to be cooperative.

5. The two Ministers reaffirmed commitment to stepping up substantive cooperation not only on such economic and trade-related matters as the ROK's proposed associate membership in the Pacific Alliance and the negotiations for the improvement of the ROK-Chile FTA; and but also in other areas, including information and communications technology (ICT), Antarctic affairs, and health and medical care.

° Minister Kang asked the Chilean government to pay attention to bids of Korean enterprises to take part in its infrastructure-building projects.

° Minister Ampuero took note of the close ROK-Chile cooperation on Antarctic-related matters, one of Chile’s priorities, including at the Korea-Chile Antarctic Cooperation Center; and voiced hope to continue such cooperation.

° The two Ministers, affirming the great potential for cooperation in the ICT field, agreed to explore ways to work together on cyber security, among others.

※ The Korea-Chile Antarctic Cooperation Center, established within the Chilean Antarctic Institute in February 2016, supports a stable supply of goods to the Antarctic King Sejong Station and conducts bilateral and multilateral joint research with Chile.

6. The first ROK-Chile foreign ministerial meeting since the inaugurations of the new governments in the two countries is seen to have served as an opportunity to discuss matters of mutual interest and to reaffirm the two countries’ commitment to the promotion of friendship and substantive cooperation.

* unofficial translation