Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Noh Kyu-duk

May 10, 2018  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Today, I have four announcements to make.

First, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will visit Washington, the US, on May 11 for her first meeting and a joint press conference with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Ahead of the Republic of Korea-United States summit talks on May 22, the Minister and the Secretary will share with each other their assessments of the outcome of the inter-Korean summit meeting and the recent progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula; and will discuss in depth ways that the ROK and the US foreign affairs authorities can work together to make a success of the forthcoming US-North Korea summit talks and thereby to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The two top diplomats will also reaffirm the 65-year-old ironclad ROK-US alliance and discuss bilateral issues.

Moving along, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will preside over an interagency meeting at the Foreign Ministry on May 14 to seek ways to better protect overseas Koreans. The meeting will come as part of the “2018 disaster response exercise for a safe Korea.” 

The meeting will cover the progress in interagency cooperation in the field, including in rendering assistance to Korean nationals and dispatching medical teams abroad. In the wake of the interagency meeting, the Foreign Ministry will dispatch to Kathmandu, Nepal, an interagency swift response team for a mock exercise, in which the team will lend assistance to the (disaster-) affected local Koreans and hold a meeting with them for safety education in an effort to spread safety culture among Koreans; and will seek to reinforce networks with local authorities.

Thirdly, Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam held a telephone conversation with Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan of the US yesterday, May 9, during which the two senior diplomats agreed to consult closely with each other on ways to make a success of the upcoming ROK-US and US-North Korea summit talks.

In the telephone conversation, Vice Minister Lim welcomed the release of the US citizens after their detention in North Korea. The two sides shared the view that the resolution of the detainee issue ahead of the US-North Korea summit meeting is a positive sign for the success of the forthcoming event.

Deputy Secretary Sullivan explained in detail the background behind the US withdrawal on May 8 from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or the Iran nuclear deal, stressing that despite the withdrawal, diplomatic efforts will continue to resolve the Iranian issue.

The Deputy Secretary, bringing attention to the 180-day wind-down period until a potential Iran sanctions snap-back, expressed willingness to consult closely with the ROK on the possible sanctions exemption during this period.

Vice Minister Lim stated that the government of the ROK, a responsible member of the international community, supports the efforts to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue; and in particular, asked the US government to consult closely with the ROK government to seek ways to prevent the US measures from causing damage to Korean companies.

Lastly, the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), together with the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, the Korea Institute for National Unification, and the Institute for National Security Strategy, will hold at the KNDA on May 15 an open academic conference themed “a review of the Moon Jae-in government’s achievements in the fields of foreign affairs, security and unification over its first year and relevant challenges.”

The conference will cover the progress and achievements of the Moon Jae-in government in the areas of foreign affairs, security and unification; ways to complement relevant policies; and challenges. In particular, experts of the four state-run think tanks will engage in an intensive debate on the rapidly changing current situation on the Korean Peninsula.

The academic event, regularly held pursuant to the memorandum of understanding on cooperation concluded among the four state-run think tanks in 2014, is expected to serve as an opportunity for the think tanks to use their expertise to contribute to the ROK government’s efforts to draw up policies for the denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula, as well as to the promotion of inter-disciplinary research cooperation and policy convergence among the areas of foreign affairs, security and unification.

That concludes my opening statement. I will now take your questions.

[Q&A]

Q: Earlier today, Representative Ha Tae-kyung (of the National Assembly) mentioned that seven, not six, ROK nationals are detained in North Korea, adding that the seventh ROK detainee is a journalist and was abducted in May 2017. Please share with us what the Foreign Ministry knows about this.

A: The ROK government has put a priority on bringing back home as soon as possible the ROK nationals held in North Korea. With regard to what you have just said, it is my understanding that relevant government agencies are checking on that.

Q: According to a press report issued earlier today, the US-North Korea summit talks will take place in Singapore around June 12. What does the ROK Foreign Ministry know about this?

A: There is nothing the Foreign Ministry is aware of in that regard.

Q: President Trump has declared the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal. With a US-North Korea summit meeting coming up, what impact do you expect this move to have on that meeting?

A: The ROK government will coordinate closely with the US government toward a complete denuclearization as stipulated in the Panmunjeom Declaration and will do everything it can in support of the efforts toward the success of the US-North Korea summit talks. In particular, I think it should be noted that lately, on the occasion of various talks and contacts, the North Korean government has been expressing commitment to a complete denuclearization.

Q: Going back to the US withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal that you have just referred to, there are occasions where a withdrawal from and/or non-compliance with an already-concluded agreement occurs. What impact do you expect such a move to have on negotiations with North Korea other than what you have just said?

A: Do you want me to repeat what I have just said? I have told you the ROK government’s position.

Q: I have two questions. National security advisor John Bolton of the US brought keen renewed attention to the 1992 Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Had there been any consultation with the ROK government before the US did so? Another thing. You said earlier that the ROK government supports the efforts to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. State parties to the JCPOA other than the US and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) maintain that the deal be implemented. What do you mean by “support the efforts to peacefully resolve the (Iranian nuclear) issue”?

A: The government of the ROK, a responsible member of the international community, supports the efforts to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue. To that end, the ROK government intends to consult with related countries as necessary, while continuously keeping tabs on relevant developments.

In answer to your first question, let me say that with an important meeting coming up, I will refrain from going into relevant details.

Q: With respect to the proposed shutdown of a nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, North Korea, has there been any progress in consultations among the ROK, the US and the IAEA regarding the possible dispatch (of inspectors)?

A: It is my understanding that there has been no progress on that front since my press briefing on Tuesday.

To reiterate what I said then, to my knowledge, the North Korean government has not yet announced a specific timing for demonstrating (to the world) the closure of a nuclear test site. So, as I said before, after notified by North Korea of its specific plan for the demonstration, the ROK government will set an observation plan.

Q: I think someone asked a question earlier about the Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We have invoked this declaration every time the possibility of (the ROK’s) own nuclear armament is raised. Is it the ROK government’s position that this Joint Declaration is still valid and should be kept that way?

A: Yes. The Panmunjeom Declaration includes a clause that the ROK and North Korea will implement various measures they agreed on in the past. So, I think the aforementioned Joint Declaration is among those that should be implemented.

Q: I have another question. Some speculate that the venue of the forthcoming US-North Korea summit talks will highly likely be Singapore. The ROK government has so far made clear that it extends financial support for (North Koreans’) accommodation during high-level inter-Korean exchanges in accordance with the principle of reciprocity. Should the US-North Korea summit talks take place in such a third country as Singapore, and should the US or the hosting third country pay for the accommodation of the North Korean delegates, would that constitute a violation of UN sanctions against North Korea?

A: You have just said that “should” the (US-North Korea summit) meeting take place in a third country, right? The venue of that meeting has yet to be decided and formally announced. I think your question is about a clearly hypothetical situation, which I find somewhat inappropriate to answer.

Q: Can’t you just tell us in principle about the content of the UN sanctions resolutions on North Korea, the scope of sanctions, etc?

A: Relevant UN Security Council sanctions resolutions on North Korea call for prohibiting the provision of bulk cash to North Korea for its development of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Anyway, if you ask that question at a later time as things unfold, I will try to answer it, depending on the situation.

Q: The US, after having referred to “permanent, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (PVID),” invoked “complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID)” around the time of Secretary Pompeo’s second visit to North Korea. Does the ROK government’s position remain unchanged regarding CVID and PVID? You said the other day that you do not consider them much different from each other (in meaning). Does that view remain unchanged?

A: In her interview with a media outlet, Minister Kang said that “‘complete’ and ‘irreversible’ put together would mean ‘permanent.’” I, on my part, mentioned at a previous press briefing that “CVID and PVID, despite the difference in the words used in coining them, are not much different from each other in meaning.” So, the ROK government’s position remains unchanged in that regard.

Q: Could you share with us the specific timings of Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha’s meeting with Secretary Pompeo and another with correspondents during her visit to the US?

A: They will take place on Friday afternoon, Washington time. I will check the exact time and let you know.

Q: I have another question about PVID. According to foreign press reports, many speculate that calling for PVID means broadening the range of weapons to be destroyed to include mid-and short-range missiles and chemical weapons. What does the ROK Foreign Ministry make of this view? Do you think this concept (PVID) has anything to do with weapons to be destroyed?

A: We have seen various interpretations put forward in press reports on this expression PVID. Nevertheless, as I said earlier, the ROK government deems that CVID and PVID, despite the difference in the words used in coining them, are not much different from each other in meaning.

If you have no further questions, this will be all for today’s briefing. Thank you.

* unofficial translation