1. On February 24 (local time), Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha attended the High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament (CD), where she stressed the importance of strengthening the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime as well as the Republic of Korea’s commitment to it, and explained the ROK government’s efforts to achieve complete denuclearization and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

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o At the High-Level Segment, ministerial- and vice ministerial-level officials from about 30 countries delivered remarks on global disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

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2. Minister Kang noted that the global security environment is volatile and complex, as can be seen from the erosion of the global nuclear arms control architecture, the advent of new and emerging technologies, and the expansion of human activities into outer space and cyber space, and emphasized that the Conference on Disarmament (CD), the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum in the international community, should contribute further to facilitating discussions on disarmament.

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o In particular, Minister Kang expressed hope that the CD would make progress in disarmament negotiations and contribute to a successful outcome of the 2020 Review Conference (April 27-May 22, New York) of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which marks the 50th anniversary of its entry into force this year, and help restore faith in the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

o In addition, Minister Kang said that as part of efforts to contribute to strengthening the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime, the ROK proposed a resolution titled “Youth, Disarmament and Non-proliferation” at the UN General Assembly last year to empower youth in disarmament discussions, and it was adopted by consensus of the UN member states.

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3. Furthermore, Minister Kang stressed that the ROK government will continue to pursue the Korean Peninsula Peace Process to achieve complete denuclearization and establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, and added that a speedy resumption of U.S.-DPRK negotiations is critical to maintaining and building the momentum for dialogue.

o In regard to this, Minister Kang said that the ROK government has proposed a number of inter-Korean projects through which it seeks to pave the way for the resumption of U.S.-DPRK talks, and asked for the international community’s steady and unwavering support for the Korean Peninsula Peace Process.