Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Apr. 8, 2014 14:30 KST


Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Today, I have one announcement to make.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Rui Machete will make an official visit to the Republic of Korea from April 9 through 11.

On April 10, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will hold a meeting and a luncheon with his Portuguese counterpart to discuss ways to boost high-level exchanges and cooperation in trade and economy.

In addition, the two Ministers will exchange a wide range of views on ways to work more closely together in culture and tourism as well as views on the current situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.

On the heels of the meeting, the two Foreign Ministers will sign an ROK-Portugal memorandum of understanding on the Working Holiday program.

On a side note, Minister Machete will pay a courtesy call on the National Assembly Speaker and hold a meeting with the Unification Minister on April 9. On April 10, he will attend the ROK-Portugal business forum to be hosted by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

This is all for my opening statement.


[Q&A]

Q: The ROK’s Ambassador to Japan Lee Byung-kee mentioned yesterday that the proposed ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting would only address the issue of sexual slavery victims drafted for Japan’s Imperial Armed Forces to start with, adding that the two countries have nearly agreed to do so. Please tell us whether this is true. Also, share with us the progress that has been made in that regard.

A: That is what the Ambassador to Japan, the leader at the diplomatic front in Japan, has said. I have nothing else to add.

Q: To my knowledge, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is seeking to set up a field-based structure in the ROK. What does the ROK government make of this plan?

A: The UNHRC resolution on the human rights situation in North Korea adopted on March 28 recommends setting up a field-based structure to follow up on the work of the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Human Rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea). And the location of this structure is currently under discussion. Decisions regarding the establishment of an office of an international organization are made not unilaterally but after undergoing due procedures. I understand that the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is looking for a place that the UNHRC member states will approve of.

The ROK government, upholding the principle that human rights, as a universal value of mankind, should be respected, consistently supports UN resolutions on the human rights situation in North Korea. Under this basic position, the ROK government will proactively consider hosting the structure, should the UN and the HRC member states request it.

There are some press reports out there that the ROK government, over concerns about its possible adverse impact on humanitarian projects with North Korea, including reunions of families separated during the Korean War, renounced its bid to become the host of the proposed field-based structure on human rights issues in North Korea. These press reports are by no means true.

Q: You mentioned that you had nothing to add to the remarks by the ROK Ambassador to Japan. Please share with us whatever you have with regard to the ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting.

A: The Ambassador to Japan, who is much more knowledgeable than I, the Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson, about the ROK-Japan relations, made those remarks in person in a meeting with journalists. Again, I have nothing to add.

Q: I have a further question. The presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae initially mentioned that the ROK-Japan meeting would be a director-general-level one and take place in mid April. Does the meeting still seem feasible?

A: I believe that it has already been clarified to you. I hear that the two countries are currently in consultation.

Q: According to the statement issued by the US Department of State after the ROK-US-Japan meeting of head delegates to the Six-Party Talks, the three countries discussed human rights issues in North Korea. Did such meetings in the past cover human rights issues in North Korea? Moving on, there was an ROK-Japan meeting of head delegates to the Six-Party Talks. Please tell us specifically what was discussed there.

A: Please repeat your second question.

Q: Please tell us what was specifically discussed in the ROK-Japan meeting of head delegates to the Six-Party Talks.

A: There is time difference between Seoul and Washington D.C. Also, the ROK delegation is continuously working on other schedules as well. Under the circumstances, I have not been informed in detail of the outcome of both the ROK-US-Japan and the ROK-Japan meetings. My general understanding, though, is that there were instances where head delegates to the Six-Party Talks discussed not only the North Korean nuclear issue but also other North Korean issues.

Q: Going back to the remarks by Ambassador to Japan Lee Byung-kee, many of the reporters right here did not attend the working luncheon with the Ambassador, which leaves us in the dark as to what he said exactly. Please share with us the ROK government’s position on the ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting.

A: I understand that the journalist-in-residence system got in the way for some of you reporters who wanted to attend the meeting. I myself did not attend it. Anyway, to my knowledge, the content of the meeting was covered in detail by the media.

Q: In that case, is it okay to assume that all the relevant press reports are true, regardless of what reporters or media outlets have written them?

A: I was just answering your question by saying that the meeting was covered in detail by the media.

Q: My question was whether it is okay to assume that the reported information is correct.

A: I believe so.

Q: Is the ROK’s head delegate to the Six-Party Talks set to attend to matters in Washington D.C. other than the trilateral meeting with his US and Japanese counterparts and the bilateral one with his Japanese counterpart?

A: I understand that he had an ROK-US-Japan, an ROK-Japan and an ROK-US meeting to attend. To my understanding, aside from them, he will also meet with relevant US figures.

Q: Please narrow down a bit the range of people he will meet with. Will they be experts or relevant officials?

A: I am not aware of such details, although I believe experts are included.

I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.


* unofficial translation