Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Noh Kyu-duk

February 20, 2018  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun hosted a luncheon for the trade ministers of five Central American countries, who are on a visit to the Republic of Korea to attend the signing ceremony of the ROK-Central America FTA, to be held in Seoul on February 21.

In the meeting, the two sides shared the view that the ROK-Central America FTA will increase exchanges and cooperation between the two regions in a range of areas, and advance the comprehensive cooperative relations between the ROK and Central America, and agreed to continue related cooperation.

This is all for my opening statement. I will take your questions.

[Q&A]

Q: This may be a question regarding an event quite a while ago, but I am asking this for clarification. As far as I know, Foreign Minister Kang did not attend the Munich Security Conference, and if she had attended it, she would have left for Germany on the 14th. On that day, she visited a traditional market here. I would like to know what the Foreign Minister did while the Munich Security Conference was taking place in Germany.

A: The Munich Security Conference was held during the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games. While the conference was being held, a number of high-level diplomatic engagements took place here, including the Slovenian President’s official visit to the ROK, the ROK-Norway summit meeting, and the ROK-Sweden Foreign Ministers’ meeting. Some media outlets said that it would have been better if Minister Kang had attended the Conference. I would like to tell you that it was an unavoidable choice for her as the Foreign Minister of the host country of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games.

There has also been a question about participation on her behalf. However, as you know, only the people who have been invited by the Secretariat of the Munich Security Conference can attend the meeting. As you know, Minister Kang and leader of the Minjoo Party of Korea Choo Mi-ae were invited to the conference. We provided necessary support to Rep. Choo, including a briefing on the North Korean nuclear issue, to make sure that the ROK government’s position is delivered clearly at the conference.

Q: There have been reports about Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s participation in the high-level segment of the UN Human Rights Council. Please verify the reports.

A: Minister Kang is considering whether to attend the high-level segment of the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council, to be held in Geneva from February 26 to 28. There have also been questions about what Minister Kang will talk about in her keynote address. The details of the keynote address she will deliver if she attends the meeting are also still under consideration.

Q: Ivanka Trump will visit the ROK this weekend, and what role will Foreign Minister Kang play? Will there be any events the two will participate in together? Also, there is talk about the possibility of preliminary dialogue for US-North Korea dialogue. I would like to know if a wide-ranging preliminary dialogue is possible.

A: On your first question, we are reviewing what role would be appropriate for Minister Kang, comprehensively taking into account ways to treat the US delegation honorably, and the meaning of the delegation’s upcoming visit to the ROK.

Furthermore, we think that Assistant to the President Ivanka Trump’s visit to the ROK is especially significant, as it will be an opportunity to celebrate the success of the PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games and highlight the strength of the ROK-US alliance. We think that naturally, issues of their mutual concern will be touched upon as well during the visit.

Q: Please tell us when Ivanka Trump will arrive in the ROK, how long she will stay, and what events she will participate in.

A: We have also seen many media articles published yesterday and today about Assistant Ivanka Trump’s visit to the ROK. Consultations are currently underway on the composition of the delegation, the timing of their visit to the ROK, and their schedule. I think that the US side will take necessary measures regarding an announcement on such details, once they are finalized.

Q: After the examination of the 9th Special Measures Agreement (SMA), a provision which was not in the 8th SMA was added. The provision says that it is possible to provide additional cash support in exceptional cases. Should this be reported to the National Assembly? Is it a problem that this was not reported to the National Assembly? If it is, can you tell us why this was not reported to the parliament back then?

A: We have also seen the report right before coming to this briefing. So, we have consulted with an official in charge of the matter, and I think there will be a chance for the official to give explanations to the media in the near future.

Q: You said that Foreign Minister Kang is considering whether to attend the 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council. If she does not attend the meeting, someone will on her behalf. Do you think that the “comfort women” issue and the human rights situation in North Korea will be mentioned there in any way?

A: As I have already said, we are still considering what Minister Kang will talk about in her keynote address and what issues she will raise, if she attends the meeting.

Q: Regarding whether or not Minister Kang will attend the meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, we have less than a week until the meeting. As far as I know, the schedule relating to the National Assembly has also been changed due to the possibility of her participation in the meeting. Is there any reason why the Foreign Ministry does not make an announcement yet and is still reviewing the issue? I would like to know if there are any worries about her participation in the meeting.

A: I think there will be a chance for us to make an official announcement on that in a couple of days.

Q: You said that the US will make an announcement, but when Vice President Pence visited the ROK, he met North Korean defectors, and there have been some reports that Ivanka Trump has also been contacting North Korean defectors. When Vice President Pence came here, some people in the ROK criticized that he seems to be spoiling another person’s party. If such things happen again, how will the ROK government express its position? I would like to know if the government has any position on that.

A: As I have already said, Assistant Ivanka Trump’s schedule during her visit to the ROK is still under consideration. We have also seen the report you have mentioned, but I will not comment on what you have asked about.

Q: The US administration is ramping up trade pressure, and the ROK’s trade authorities are working to address it. However, I think there are also matters that can be resolved through discussions between diplomatic authorities. What role is the Foreign Ministry playing?

A: The Foreign Ministry is making diplomatic efforts to ensure that a range of economic and trade issues between the ROK and the US are resolved in a mutually-beneficial way. The Foreign Ministry is also closely working together with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in charge of the issues.

Q: As far as I know, Inside U.S. Trade, a foreign media outlet, reported that the US Departments of Defense and State actually expressed concern that the US Commerce and Treasury Departments’ trade pressure on the ROK can place a burden on the ROK-US relations. Does the ROK Foreign Ministry also think that the Trump administration’s trade pressure on the ROK can put a burden on the ROK-US relations?

A: As we see it, basically, the US deals with trade issues separately from diplomatic and security issues. So, President Trump himself said that he handles alliance and trade issues separately.

Do you have any other questions? If there are no further questions, I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.

* unofficial translation