1. Amb. Lee Do-hoon, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, together with Vice Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China and Special Representative of the Chinese Government on the Korean Peninsular Affairs Kong Xuanyou, held a meeting of the ROK and Chinese top negotiators on the North Korean nuclear issue in Seoul on January 17 and discussed in depth Korean Peninsula issues.

2. The two sides exchanged their respective assessments of the new year’s address by Chairman Kim Jong-un, the outcome of his fourth visit to China and other recent developments; and drew a common understanding that in order for the dialogue between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which has lately been moving forward, to produce tangible results, relevant countries should work closely together.

° Special Representative Lee, taking note of the ongoing momentum of close dialogue among related countries in early 2019 and on, voiced hope that Chairman Kim’s recent visit to China would be followed by the second US-DPRK summit and his reciprocal visit to Seoul.

° Special Representative Kong, reaffirming the Chinese government’s steadfast support for efforts to advance the inter-Korean relations, expressed the Chinese government’s hope that the process toward a political resolution of Korean Peninsula issues would move further forward in 2019. He added that the Chinese government would continue playing a constructive role along the way.

3. The two sides agreed to maintain close communication at various levels in a bid to make the year 2019 a significant year in terms of work to achieve complete denuclearization and establish a peace regime, as was the case in the year 2018, when remarkable progress had been made in the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

* unofficial translation