1. Deputy-Minister for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lee Sang-jin, who is on a visit to Mongolia (December 3-4) to lead a delegation of the Republic of Korea to the 10th ROK-Mongolia meeting on consular affairs, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister of Mongolia Damdin Tsogtbaatar on December 4 at the request of the Mongolian side. The two sides agreed on the need to devise measures to advance the ROK-Mongolia relations, and to increase sound exchanges between the people of the two countries.

o Deputy-Minister Lee Sang-jin said that trustworthy people-to-people exchanges are required for sound development of bilateral relations, and offered to continue cooperation between the governments of the two countries to make sure that Mongolian nationals visiting the ROK stay in the ROK legally. The ROK side also asked the Mongolian side to ease restrictions currently in place, including by increasing the period of stay, so that more Korean nationals can visit Mongolia safely and freely, and make investments in the country.

o Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar agreed on the need for sound people-to-people exchanges, and asked for the ROK side’s active cooperation and support to help Mongolians staying in the ROK adjust to Korean culture and market economy, saying that the ROK is a country where the largest number of Mongolians abroad are staying.

2. In addition, Foreign Minister Tsogtbaatar reaffirmed Mongolia’s consistent support for President Moon Jae-in and the ROK government’s Korean Peninsula policy, aimed at establishing peace and stability, and greatly praised Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s efforts to implement the policy.

* unofficial translation