Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Mar. 11, 2014 14:30 KST


Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

First, I will touch upon the accident of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

The government of the Republic of Korea expresses its deepest regret over the whereabouts of the plane and the safety of its passengers remaining in the dark.

The government and the people of the ROK will stand by the families of all the passengers and crew members, including Chinese and Malaysian nationals, who are undergoing a hard time and whole-heartedly hope for the safe and early return of all the passengers and crew members.

Moving on to the second announcement, on the occasion of the third anniversary today of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the government and the people of the ROK extend their deep consolation to the Japanese people, including the bereaved families of the victims.

The fortitude with which the Japanese people overcame their difficult situation on the heels of the earthquake left a deep impression on the Korean people.

The ROK people, on their part, shared the pain of the Japanese people and voluntarily ran a fund-raising drive to help the Japanese as they would do their own family. I believe such efforts brought the peoples of the two countries closer together.

I hope that an environment will be created as soon as possible for the peoples of the two countries to build the future together as valuable neighbors.

Thirdly, the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) and the Korea Nuclear Policy Society (KNPS), with the support of the Foreign Ministry, will co-host a special academic conference at Grand Hilton Hotel, Seoul, on March 12 ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) to take place in The Hague this year. At its opening ceremony, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will deliver a keynote speech.

In the conference, the participants will discuss the challenges and the prospects of the NSS, the North Korean nuclear issue, the Park Geun-hye government’s non-proliferation policy and ways to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation capabilities of the ROK.

IFANS of the KNDA has held seminars on non-proliferation networking on a regular basis since 2011 in an effort to step up nuclear policy studies at home. Its upcoming academic conference with the KNPS will come as part of such efforts.

Fourthly, Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki of Japan will visit the ROK from March 12 through 13. Tomorrow, March 12, new First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yong will meet with his Japanese counterpart to exchange greetings as well as views on such matters as the ROK-Japan relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Lastly, the Foreign Ministry will host the fourth workshop of the Cyber Secretariat of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) at Hotel Shilla, Seoul, on March 13.

The workshop will bring together the ROK Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Lee Kyung-soo as well as 20-odd delegates from FEALAC member states and diplomats from those countries stationed in the ROK.

At the workshop, the participant countries will review their progress in the implementation of the recommendations made in the Vision Group Final Report submitted during the FEALAC Foreign Ministers’ meeting in June 2013.

The ROK, chosen as the host country of the FEALAC Cyber Secretariat at the fourth FEALAC Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in 2010, has since been operating it. It has also hosted the FEALAC Cyber Secretariat workshop on an annual basis since 2011.

This is all for my opening statement.


[Q&A]

Q: With regard to the alleged espionage case involving a former civil servant of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Foreign Ministry has said that out of the three documents concerned, only one is authentic, while some say that all the three were fabricated. Has the Foreign Ministry conducted a probe on this case on its own?

A: As the Foreign Ministry has reiterated time and again in this regard, the authorities concerned are working to get to the bottom of this case. As you must know, the Ministry is extending cooperation whenever necessary. I believe that the authorities working on the case would brief you on the outcome of the probe.

As the Foreign Ministry has said all along, it, at the request of the prosecution, sent one of the documents to the Consulate General concerned for verification. After receiving the outcome of the verification process from the Consulate, the Ministry relayed it to the prosecution.

Q: Yesterday, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary said that the Japanese government was not considering revising the Kono Statement, although it would continue the re-examination work. What does the ROK government make of this plan?

A: The issue of wartime sexual slavery victims drafted by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces is a very grave one. The victims were subjected to untold pain. As they are aged, this issue should be resolved as soon as possible, for which the Japanese government should make efforts, and that as soon as possible. I would like to stress that.

Q: Please share with us what will be discussed during the visit to the ROK by Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Saiki.

A: As I mentioned in my opening statement, the two sides are apparently expected to discuss pending bilateral issues. Vice Minister Saiki will arrive tomorrow and meet with new First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yong. Please wait until after the meeting for its outcome, which I understand will be provided to you in an appropriate way.

Q: With regard to the alleged fabrication of the evidence for the aforementioned espionage case, the Foreign Ministry, at the request of the prosecution, sent to the Consulate General in Shenyang the document it had received from the prosecution and received it back from the Consulate. The consul handling notarization matters at the Consulate General in Shenyang notarized the document, right?

A: What document are you referring to?

Q: I am asking about the one document you referred to just moments ago. The Foreign Ministry, at the request of the prosecution, sent the document to the Consulate General in Shenyang, which, in turn, obtained a document from the public security authorities of Helong City and sent it to the Foreign Ministry. Did the consul in charge of notarization at the Consulate General in Shenyang notarize that particular document?

A: Could you repeat your question? The document from the prosecution…

Q: I am asking about the one document you referred to just moments ago.

A: Yes?

Q: There is the consul in charge of notarization matters at the Consulate General in Shenyang, right? Did he/she notarize that particular document?

A: This issue is a very complicated one with many relevant aspects. I am not sure whether I recall every relevant detail in a correct way, but as I understand it, the document was not notarized by the consul.

Q: You mentioned moments ago that the Foreign Ministry relayed the one document through a diplomatic channel. Wasn’t that document notarized then?

A: The Foreign Ministry sent the document to the Consulate General concerned at the request of the prosecution. When the Ministry received the outcome of the verification process from the Consulate, it relayed it to the prosecution. I did not hear that a consul notarized the document somewhere along the way.

Q: Can it construed as indicating that the document has not been notarized?

A: Not all documents are notarized.

Q: I will construe your remarks as indicating that the document was just relayed.

A: That’s the way I understand it.

Q: With regard to the visit of Japan’s Vice Foreign Minister Saiki to the ROK, the meeting will mark the first high-level meeting since Prime Minister Abe’s visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. Can we expect the meeting to lead to an improvement in the ROK-Japan relations? Will a bilateral summit also materialize?

A: I have reiterated time and again what should be first done for the ROK-Japan relations to move forward. The one who tied the knot should untie it. In this vein, I have repeatedly mentioned that Japan should take actions to this end.

Please wait until after the bilateral vice-ministerial meeting to see its outcome, which I understand will be explained to you in an appropriate manner.

In terms of the question regarding the Kono Statement, let me add that actions are more important than words.

If you have no further questions, I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.


* unofficial translation