1. On the evening of June 9 (Korea Standard Time), Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho participated in the “Ministerial Video Call of the Stockholm Initiative on Nuclear Disarmament and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),” co-hosted by the Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Sweden and attended by 16 non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the NPT, and discussed ways to advance global nuclear disarmament and promote a successful outcome of the NPT Review Conference, tentatively scheduled to be held next year.

2. Vice Minister Lee said that the NPT, which marks the 50^th anniversary of its entry into force this year, needs to continue its role as the cornerstone of the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, and stressed that the international community should work together to make progress in nuclear disarmament and to promote a successful outcome of the upcoming NPT Review Conference, with the ultimate goal of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.

3. Vice Minister Lee also mentioned that the Republic of Korea, as one of beneficiaries of the NPT regime that curbs nuclear proliferation and ensures the right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy, has been sparing no effort to contribute to the success of the NPT Review Conference and strengthen the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

o Regarding the ROK’s contribution to global disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, Vice Minister Lee explained that the ROK government led the adoption of a new UN General Assembly resolution titled “Youth, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation” in 2019, and as part of efforts to promote youth participation in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, the ROK is planning to hold “Youth NPT Conference” to let the young generation understand the importance of the NPT regime.

4. The Ministerial Video Call was held at a time when the five-yearly NPT Review Conference initially scheduled for this year in celebration of the 50^th anniversary of the Treaty’s entry into force has been postponed possibly to early next year due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ministerial- and vice ministerial-level officials or senior delegates from 16 non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the NPT, including the ROK, attended the Video Call to take stock of preparations for the upcoming Review Conference and discuss ways to promote a successful outcome of the Review Conference.