1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a meeting and a luncheon with Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 20, during which the two Ministers reviewed the progress in the Republic of Korea-Malaysia relations and discussed a broad range of matters, including ways to step up substantive cooperation, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. Minister Kang mentioned that the ROK government highly values Malaysia as a main partner for its New Southern Policy; and noted with appreciation that since establishing diplomatic relations in 1960, the two countries have seen their strong cooperative ties advance across the board, including political affairs, economy and culture.

° Minister Saifuddin, sharing Minister Kang’s view, particularly voiced hope that President Moon Jae-in would pay a state visit to Malaysia in 2019.

3. The two Ministers agreed to further bolster bilateral substantive cooperation on the basis of synergy between the ROK government’s New Southern Policy and the Malaysian government’s Look East policy; and to work more closely together across the board as well as on regional and multilateral levels ahead of the 60^th anniversary of the establishment of the ROK-Malaysia diplomatic relations and the APEC summit in Malaysia in 2020.

4. The two Ministers discussed in depth the situation on the Korean Peninsula, agreeing to communicate and cooperate closely with each other toward a complete denuclearization and the establishment of a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

° Minister Saifuddin, welcoming the ROK government’s efforts to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula, expressed willingness to continue rendering support.

5. Later in the day, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad and relayed to him warm regards from President Moon.

° Prime Minister Mahathir expressed hope to increase substantive cooperation between the two countries mainly in the high-tech industry, and support for the ROK government’s work for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

6. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s visit to Malaysia, the first bilateral visit in eight years since the one in 2010, is seen to have served as an opportunity to discuss ways to increase substantive cooperation between the two countries and to accelerate the ROK government’s work to implement its New Southern Policy.

* unofficial translation