Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Noh Kyu-duk

May 1, 2018  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

First, Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam will attend a ceremony to celebrate the creation of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) on May 3.

The event takes place to celebrate the official launch of the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization as an international organization. The ROK has led its creation for the past ten years since it proposed it at the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in 2009.

In his congratulatory remarks, Vice Minister Lim will congratulate the establishment of the Organization, which will serve as an important mechanism in implementing the ROK government’s New Southern Policy. He will also ask the Organization to contribute to creating an ROK-ASEAN community for peace, which pursues sustainable co-prosperity, through people-centered forest cooperation.

Moving on to the next topic, Vice Minister Lim Sung-nam will hold the 3rd ROK-Thailand policy consultation with Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand Busaya Mathelin in Seoul on May 3.

In the policy consultation with Thailand, an important partner for the ROK’s New Southern Policy, the two sides will discuss ways to work together to further advance the relations between the two countries, which mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year.

They will also discuss the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Southeast Asia, as well as ways the two countries can cooperate to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Lastly, an international seminar to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the ROK’s accession to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention will take place at Lotte Hotel on May 2.

In his opening remarks, Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will stress the need for states parties to the World Heritage Convention to not only preserve and protect heritage, but also devise interpretation strategies to correctly explain the history of heritage to people around the world.

Furthermore, Vice Minister Cho will mention that when the sites of Japan's Meiji industrial revolution were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2015, Japan said that Koreans were forced to work at some of the sites, and will urge the Japanese side to faithfully and swiftly fulfill its promise that it will take appropriate measures to honor the victims.

The upcoming meeting, to be attended by representatives from member countries of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, and international experts in world heritage, is expected to serve as an opportunity to engage in in-depth discussions on the way forward for the World Heritage Convention, and to strengthen the ROK’s status as a country leading related discussions.

This is all for my opening statement.

[Q&A]

Q: Are there any plans for contact between Foreign Minister Kang and US Secretary of State Pompeo?

A: Since the Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State spoke over the phone on April 28, the ROK and the US have been coordinating schedules to arrange their meeting at the earliest possible date in order to increase close communications and collaboration between the two countries.

Q: If the meeting takes place, is there a possibility that they will discuss the issue of holding the US-North Korea summit in Panmunjom?

A: I expect a range of issues to be discussed in the meeting.

Q: I would like to know the Foreign Ministry’s position on the White House’s announcement of its decision to exempt the ROK from heavy steel tariffs.

A: On the matter, the Foreign Ministry has closely worked together with relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Please contact the government agency in charge of the issue for further details.

Q: This could be a somewhat irrelevant question. US President Trump said on Twitter that it would also be good to hold the US-North Korea summit at the Peace House in Panmunjom. If the leaders of the US and North Korea meet, in a sense, the ROK is a third party country, isn’t it? So, if the US-North Korea summit takes place in the ROK, are there any procedures where the US and North Korea should make a request of the ROK government? To hold the US-North Korea summit in Panmunjom, what procedures are required, and what measures will the ROK government take?

A: Basically, there is nothing we can confirm regarding the possibility of holding the summit in Panmunjom. But, if the US-North Korea summit is held in Panmunjom, a symbol of division, I think it would hold big significance, as it will become a site where a new milestone of peace is set up. And, in fact, the Joint Security Area (JSA) is under the jurisdiction of the United Nations Command, so I think consultations between the UNC and related governments will take place.

Q: I have another question. If such procedures are pursued, will the ROK government be able to disclose it? Or can the government disclose it, after everything is determined?

A: As I have already said, there is nothing we can confirm. Also, it is not known yet whether a venue for the US-North Korea summit has been determined, so I will refrain from answering such specific question.

I will conclude today’s briefing, if there are no further questions.

Thank you.

* unofficial translation