Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Nov. 21, 2013 14:30 KST


Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

According to some press reports issued earlier today, a senior official of the US Department of Defense said that the Korean Peninsula would fall in the scope of the exercise of Japan’s right to collective self-defense.

With regard to the press reports, high-legal government officials of the US have notified us that the aforementioned remarks had not been made.

It is the US government’s position that the remarks at issue have nothing to do with the scope of the exercise of Japan’s right to collective self-defense. According to the US officials, media outlets published articles associating threats from North Korea with the scope of the exercise of the right.

The US government has informed the ROK government that the former stressed to Korean correspondents that it sufficiently understands the latter’s concern over discussions on Japan’s right to collective self-defense and that it is paying close attention to this concern.

It is the consistent and clear position of the ROK government with respect to Japan’s right to collective self-defense that it will not accept anything being undertaken without a request from the ROK government in matters that could affect the security on the Korean Peninsula and the ROK’s national interests. And this is a clear principle that goes in line with relevant international law.

A high-level security-related official of Japan recently explained to the ROK government with regard to Japan’s right to collective self-defense that this right will not be exercised on the Korean Peninsula without the ROK’s consent in accordance with relevant international law that prohibits conducting military operations in a foreign country without the consent of the host country.

The ROK government will continue close consultations with relevant countries to express its position that moves related to this right should be made transparently and in a way that will ease the ROK’s concerns.

I have two more announcements to make.

First, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak of Slovakia will make an official visit to the ROK from November 24 through 26.

On November 25, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will hold a meeting and an official luncheon with the Slovakian Minister. The two sides will then sign a ROK-Slovakia agreement on scientific and technological cooperation as well as a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between their Foreign Ministries. During his visit to the ROK, Minister Lajcak will also attend the opening ceremony of Slovakia’s hononary consulate in the city of Busan.

Minister Lajcak’s upcoming visit to the ROK, the first of its kind by a Slovakian Foreign Minister in twelve years, carries great significance as one that takes place on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of ROK-Slovakia diplomatic relations.

The visit is expected to serve as an opportunity to further strengthen cooperation with Slovakia, the ROK’s largest trading partner in Central Europe.

Moving on to the second and last announcement, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyung-soo will visit Iran and Latvia from November 25 through December 4.

During his visit to Iran, Deputy Minister Lee will hold a High-level Policy Consultation with Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia-Pacific Affairs Mohammad-Ebrahim Rahimpur to discuss the overall ROK-Iran relations and will pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Deputy Minister Lee will then visit Latvia to hold the 2nd ROK-Latvia Policy Consultation and pay a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics.

On December 2, he will attend the opening ceremony of the ROK Consular Agency in Riga, Latvia, the ROK’s only resident mission in the Balkan region.

On November 29, the Deputy Minister will preside over the 2013 meeting of the heads of the ROK diplomatic missions stationed in Africa.

This is all for my opening statement.


[Q&A]
 
Q: The ROK government has purportedly started work at its overseas diplomatic missions to find undiscovered diplomatic records there. Please share with us its specific schedule as well as which missions will be inspected first.

A: Currently, extensive inspections are under way at ten overseas missions. The government plans to undertake this work at the rest of overseas missions as soon as possible.

Q: You mentioned moments ago that a security-related official of Japan had relayed the Japanese government’s position on the right to collective self-defense. Was it relayed at the recent ROK-Japan Defense Ministers’ meeting?

A: I will just say that “a high-level government official” did that.

Q: I have two questions regarding the North Korean defectors who have reportedly been arrested in Kunming, China. According to the human rights group involved in the case, the arrested North Korean defectors are currently held in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Could you tell us their whereabouts, if possible?

Also, what measures has the ROK government taken toward the Chinese government with regard to this case? How has the Chinese government responded to them?

A: You have asked a quite long question. As I have always said, it is the ROK government’s policy not to disclose details concerning North Korean defectors in consideration of their safety.

Q: Could you at least tell us what measures the ROK government has taken toward the Chinese government?
 
A: I have no other choice but to repeat what I have just said.

Q: There is talk that US President Barack Obama will make a tour of Asian nations, including the ROK. Is this true?

A: Instead of answering that question, let me just tell you that nothing has been finalized with regard to President Obama’s plan to visit the ROK.

Q: Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary followed suit of the Chief Cabinet Secretary and made reference to the Korean patriot Ahn Jung-geun. What, if any, is the ROK government’s official position in this regard?

A: At the previous briefing right here, I discussed the ROK government’s stern position regarding the remarks by Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary.

Japan should squarely face and humbly repent for its past wrongdoings. When the Japanese claim that they do repent but make such remarks at the same time, we cannot but question the sincerity of their repentance.

We cannot but say that Japan contradicts itself when it expresses its willingness to play an active role in the international community but makes such retrogressive remarks.
 
Let me repeat once and for all that patriot Ahn Jung-geun is no criminal.

Q: Currently, Japan’s Abe government is working to enact a secrecy law. The law seems to be pursued in a lead-up to possible agreements on military intelligence with the US, the ROK and other neighboring countries. Should the bill for the law be passed, how do you expect it to affect the ROK-Japan diplomatic relations?

A: I will not say anything about the bill you have just mentioned.

Q: With regard to the search for historical data at overseas diplomatic missions, it is purportedly focused on finding those from the late Joseon Dynasty and Japanese colonial period. Do you have a plan to expand the scope of the search?

A: Significant diplomatic records were recently discovered at the ROK Embassy in Japan after sitting there for a very long period of time.

The Foreign Ministry will carry out this work at all of its overseas diplomatic missions to prevent such important documents from remaining undiscovered.

I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.


* unofficial translation