1. On the morning of December 16, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Sei-young met with Mr. Stephen Biegun, U.S. Special Representative for North Korea who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK).

° Vice Minister Cho voiced hope that Special Representative Biegun, who has taken a more active part than anybody else in the efforts to achieve complete denuclearization and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula since his inauguration to the post in August 2018, would continue endeavors to advance the ROK-U.S. relations in a mutually beneficial way and to strengthen the bilateral alliance.

° Special Representative Biegun shared the view that the ROK and the U.S. have coordinated closely to date toward complete denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, and expressed hope for continued extensive consultations on the overall ROK-U.S. relations.

3. The two sides shared the understanding that the ROK-U.S. alliance should be taken to the next level and agreed to hold close consultations on the pending issues between the two countries.

° The two sides also exchanged views on such issues as the ROK-Japan relations, and agreed to continue to engage in communication on various occasions.