Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Apr. 15, 2014 14:30 KST


Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Today, I have one announcement to make.

The eighth Cooperation Forum between the Republic of Korea and Central Asia will take place on the ROK’s Jeju Island on April 22. The event will bring together some 150 people, including the ROK’s First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yong and his counterparts from Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The delegations from these countries will consist of leading figures and experts from various sectors.

The upcoming forum, themed “advancing ROK-Central Asia relations for shared prosperity and cooperation: happiness of the people, national development and the creation of the future,” will focus on ways to work together in areas of keen interest for the Central Asian countries, such as public healthcare, agriculture, environment and forestry.

In particular, the participants will discuss the possible establishment of an ROK-Central Asia cooperation secretariat to seek systematic advances of the Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum.

On the sidelines of the forum, Vice Minister Cho will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Central Asian countries on ways to step up bilateral cooperation.

Also, during their visit to the ROK, the delegations from the Central Asian countries will make a tour of medical facilities and forests.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the forum, ten journalists working for broadcasters, news agencies and other leading media outlets of the five Central Asian countries will visit the ROK at the invitation of the ROK Foreign Ministry. The Foreign Ministry has invited them to cover the forum and report relevant information to the peoples of their countries.

This is all for my opening statement.


[Q&A]

Q: The ROK and Japan have agreed to hold a director-general-level meeting on the issue of sexual slavery victims drafted for Japan’s Imperial Armed Forces. With regard to this issue, the ROK government is said to have demanded sincere steps from the Japanese government. Could you specify what will constitute sincere steps?

A: The relevant ROK and Japanese officials will get together to discuss the issue of sexual slavery victims, which the former has strongly and all along demanded that the latter resolve. The first of its kind will take place in Seoul tomorrow. Please wait and see how it goes.

Q: What time will the meeting start and end tomorrow?

A: What time will the meeting start and end tomorrow? Generally speaking, the end time of a meeting is determined by how the meeting progresses. To my knowledge, the meeting will begin tomorrow afternoon.

Q: You have referred to the meeting as the “first of its kind.” Can this be construed as indicating that the ROK and Japan have somewhat agreed to hold this meeting on a regular basis?

A: In my personal opinion, it could not be better if the two countries would be able to resolve the issue in this forthcoming meeting once and for all. If they fail to do so in the meeting tomorrow, I deem that such consultations would probably continue.

Q: According to a press report, the Director of the Northeast Asia Division of the Japanese Foreign Ministry has reportedly met with a director-level official of North Korea in Dalian, China. The two sides reportedly agreed that should North Korea allow a re-investigation into the fate and well-being of the Japanese abductees to North Korea, Japan would lift some of its sanctions on North Korea. What does the ROK Foreign Ministry know about this? Has the ROK government received any prior notice about this from either country?

A: I know nothing at this point with regard to the Japan-North Korea meeting you have just referred to. Let me check on that.

Q: You mentioned in your previous briefing that the forthcoming ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting is for discussions on the issue of sexual slavery victims, which I don’t think will be over after just one round. Do you expect these meetings to continue covering the issue of sexual slavery victims only? To my understanding, the Japanese side is of the opinion that various other issues could be covered in these meetings. What do you make of this view?

A: Consultations take place between the ROK and Japanese Foreign Ministries through consultative channels at various levels as necessary. Please see the upcoming meeting as part of such consultations.

Q: A press report, citing Chinese diplomatic sources, said that North Korea indicated that it would conduct a nuclear test on April 20. What does the ROK government know about this?

A: I know nothing about it.

Q: What will be discussed at the ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting tomorrow?

A: The agenda item for the ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting tomorrow is the issue of sexual slavery victims.

Q: What position will the ROK side express?

A: I deem it inappropriate for me to discuss the result of the meeting that has yet to take place. I ask you to wait and see how the meeting goes.

Q: I have a question regarding the defense cost-sharing. The ROK-US agreement on defense cost-sharing seems to have been passed at the meeting of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee a little ago. According to the government bill sent to the Committee members, the government will make its utmost efforts to include in the relevant implementation arrangement stipulations regarding improvements in the working conditions for the Korean employees of US Forces Korea (USFK).

I feel a little uneasy with this “utmost efforts.” Some could point out that “Even if the ROK government does its utmost, there still is a possibility that those stipulations end up not being included.” What does the ROK government make of this view? How will the stipulations be worded?

A: Are you asking specifically about the working conditions of the Korean employees of US Forces Korea?

Q: Yes.

A: The stipulations can be construed as they are worded. The ROK government will make its best efforts. Basically speaking, the issue concerning the working conditions for the Korean employees of USFK is one between the employer, USFK in this case, and the employees, the Korean workers.

Regardless, the ROK government pays keen attention to the working conditions of these employees and thus has been doing what it can in this regard. I believe that in the course of negotiations on the agreement on defense burden-sharing, the government sought to improve relevant systems.

Going forward, the government will continue doing everything in its power in this regard through such channels as the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

Q: Going back to the ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting, you called tomorrow’s meeting the “first of its kind.” Will the next ROK-Japan meeting be the second director-general-level one? Or, will it a separate meeting at a different level, such as working or vice-ministerial level, which the ROK government announced will be put to work.

A: As the director-general-level meeting is set to take place tomorrow, please wait and see how it turns out. What I meant to say earlier is that it would be the best if tomorrow’s meeting is the only one the two countries need to resolve the issue. If not, they would need to hold more meetings to discuss and resolve the issue.

I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.


* unofficial translation