1. On October 29, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with Chairman of the United States House Committee on Armed Services Mac Thornberry, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the Republic of Korea-US relations.

※ Chairman Thornberry’s visit to the ROK marks his second visit since the inauguration of the current ROK government, following the one in May last year. During his visit to the ROK, he will meet with high-level government officials, including the Foreign Minister and the Minister of National Defense, as well as officials from the Embassy of the United States in the ROK, and US Forces Korea. He will also visit a US military base in the ROK.

2. Minister Kang shared her assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which has improved significantly compared to the one a year ago following a series of inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogues, as well as the current state of close cooperation between the ROK and the US to achieve their common goal. She also took note of the bipartisan support from the US Congress for the ROK-US alliance, and a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

o In addition, Minister Kang said that on the basis of the strong ROK-US alliance, the ROK government would continue to put its diplomatic efforts into making sure that inter-Korean and US-North Korea relations create a virtuous cycle, giving impetus to the denuclearization and peace process. She also asked for consistent support from the US Congress to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful Korean Peninsula.

3. Chairman Thornberry shared the view that the situation on the Korean Peninsula had improved at a rapid pace over the past one year, and said that this was possible thanks to the united response of the international community, including the ROK and the US. He also reaffirmed the US Congress’s unwavering support for strong ROK-US alliance, and said that the Congress would spare no effort in ensuring that the ROK-US alliance continues to serve as a strong foundation for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and the establishment of peace on the Peninsula.

4. Chairman Thornberry leads the US House Armed Services Committee, which deals with national defense and security issues, including the ROK-US alliance. Despite a busy political schedule in the US, including the midterm elections (November 6), he visited the ROK to listen to the opinions of people in the ROK on the situation on the Korean Peninsula, considering the importance of the ROK-US alliance.

* unofficial translation