Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Noh Kyu-duk

April 12, 2018  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Today, I have one announcement to make.

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan from April 16 till 18. She will meet with her Kazakh and Uzbek counterparts in Astana on April 17 and in Tashkent on April 18, respectively. In Almaty on April 16, she will meet with local ethnic Koreans.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the Republic of Korea’s long-standing friends and partners for strategic cooperation in Central Asia.

During her visits to the two countries, Minister Kang, together with her counterparts there, will discuss ways to enhance bilateral cooperative ties in a future-oriented and mutually beneficial manner, and to work more closely together on the international stage; and will exchange a wide range of views on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula.

For your information, Kazakhstan, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2017 and 2018, has, along with Uzbekistan, been supporting the ROK government’s position on Korean Peninsula issues.

Minister Kang’s visits to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which will come as part of the ROK government’s diplomatic diversification efforts and work to implement its New Northern Policy, are expected to serve as an opportunity to further enhance the ROK’s bilateral relations with its main cooperative partners in Central Asia.

That concludes my opening statement.

[Q&A]

Q: It is getting increasingly close to setting a specific timing for ROK-China-Japan summit talks, with some saying that the meeting will take place in early May. What, if any, is currently under discussion at the Foreign Ministry in this regard?

A: Relevant consultations are under way. When a decision is made, we will let you know. To my knowledge, though, that stage has yet to come.

Q: In the ROK-Japan foreign ministerial meeting yesterday, Minister Kono of Japan reportedly articulated the Japanese government’s position on a Korean civic group’s plan to erect in front of a Japanese Consulate-General in the ROK a statue in memory of forced laborers (during Japanese colonial rule). The Japanese government holds the position that it will never accept such a statue being erected in front of its Consulate-General. Where does the ROK government stand on this matter? What measures is it currently taking in response? What impact will the statue, if indeed erected, have on the ROK-Japan relations?

A: It was discussed in the foreign ministerial meeting yesterday. On your last question, I’ll check more and let you know.

Q: Please share with us what you can with regard to the progress involving the Koreans abducted in the waters off Ghana.

A: I have told you before that it is our policy not to share every detail regarding the progress on that case while the negotiations are under way.

Q: It was brought up in the ROK-Japan foreign ministerial meeting yesterday that director-general-level consultations will be held to draw up a future blueprint of the bilateral ties. The 20^th anniversary of the adoption of a declaration on partnership by former President Kim Dae-jung and former Prime Minister Obuchi will fall in October. What, if any, are the ROK and Japan doing in 2018 to follow up on that declaration? Or, what particular exchange programs or projects, if any, do the two countries plan to conduct in 2018 in follow-up?

A: Director-general-level consultations are expected to begin in the near future after relevant discussions. As to project plans you have just referred to, I have no information that I can share with you.

Q: To my knowledge, negotiations on sharing military costs are currently under way (between the ROK and the US) in Jeju. According to some press reports, the US has demanded that the ROK shoulder twice the share it did before as well as the cost of deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. What do you have to say about these reports?

A: With the negotiations currently under way, it is inappropriate to share with you relevant details. Nevertheless, there soon will be an opportunity for a related official to give you an explanation on what was discussed in the negotiations. 

Q: You said moments ago that a policy had been set not to give out details regarding the progress on the kidnapping case near Ghana. Will this principle be applied whenever Korean nationals are abducted?

A: Yes, that’s right.

Q: According to a news report, a hotline will be set up between the ROK Embassy in the US and the US Department of State for regular consultations, and Ambassador Cho Yoon-je will meet with Thornton, nominee for the Assistant Secretary of State post, on April 16 to discuss the matter. What significance does the establishment of the hotline carry? Please share with us anything you can regarding what the April 16 meeting will cover, if that meeting happens.

A: The ROK government is doing its utmost with sincerity in a bid to reap, at the forthcoming inter-Korean summit talks, desired results regarding the denuclearization and other various matters. In keeping with the government’s objective, the Foreign Ministry is playing a role as necessary in its areas of work. Ahead of the inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit talks, the Ministry is working hard to maintain close communication and to bolster coordination with the US at numerous levels through its Embassy in the US and various other diplomatic channels.

Q: Some say that ROK-China-Japan summit talks will take place in Japan. I would like to know the specific timing of the event.

A: I answered a similar question earlier.

If you don’t have any other questions, this will be all for today’s briefing. Thank you.

* unofficial translation