1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha met with Mr. Stephen Biegun, Special Representative for North Korea of the Department of State of the United States, on October 29. In the meeting, the two sides shared with each other recent developments in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including follow-up negotiations between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and advances in inter-Korean relations; and discussed ways to achieve complete denuclearization and build a permanent peace regime.

° Minister Kang stressed that the momentum of dialogue strengthened by the 2018 Inter-Korean Summit Pyeongyang and the recent visit to the DPRK by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo should lead to tangible progress toward denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace. She went on to suggest that the ROK and the US, in close coordination with each other, continue to fine-tune specific ways to that end.

° Special Representative Biegun, sharing the Minister’s view, noted that consultations and fine-tuning work between the ROK and the US at various levels are highly important for US-DPRK negotiations; and that more efforts will be made to step up already-watertight communication and cooperation between the ROK and the US in the course of moving forward denuclearization efforts and inter-Korean relations.

2. Minister Kang noted with appreciation that since the inauguration of Special Representative Biegun, the ROK-US consultations on denuclearization and peace regime were intensifying; and expressed hope that his consultations with major ROK officials during his visit to the country will help reinforce cooperation between the two countries. Special Representative Biegun, extending appreciation to the Minister over her remarks, stated that he will do his best.

* unofficial translation