Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Noh Kyu-duk

May 29, 2018  14:30  KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

First, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will host the 15th Iftar dinner at the Minister’s official residence this afternoon for about 150 people from home and abroad, including diplomats to the Republic of Korea from member states of the the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The Foreign Ministry has hosted an Iftar dinner during the month of Ramadan every year since 2004 to promote cross-cultural understanding and communication between the ROK and the Islamic world.

The upcoming event will be attended about 150 people, including diplomats to the ROK from member states of the OIC, people related to Islam from home and abroad, people related to the Middle East from the media, academia and the culture industry, and students in the ROK from Islamic countries.

Moving on to the next topic, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will attend the opening ceremony of the Crisis Management Division, to be held on the 13th floor of the Foreign Ministry at 3 p.m., May 30.

The Crisis Management Division is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It will monitor incidents and accidents, and emergency situations around the world in real time, and respond to them in the initial stages.

The Foreign Ministry, in charge of responding to disasters overseas, will work jointly with officials from relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korean National Police Agency, and the Korea Coast Guard.

Lastly, I will tell you about the ROK government’s diplomatic efforts to support the success of the US-North Korea summit.

The ROK government, firmly believing that the success of the US-North Korea summit is more important than anything else in order to achieve complete denuclearization and establish a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, has exerted active and various diplomatic efforts to support the success of the summit.

In particular, though there have been dramatic changes in the situation regarding the US-North Korea summit for the last couple of days, the ROK Foreign Ministry and the US Department of State have communicated and consulted frequently, sharing their assessments of the overall situation, and coordinating ways to respond to it.

Immediately after President Trump’s letter cancelling his summit with the North Korean leader was disclosed, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha spoke over the phone with her US counterpart Pompeo. For the weekend of May 26-27, she was also in direct communication with Secretary Pompeo, who is playing a leading role in handling issues regarding the US-North Korea summit. The Foreign Minister held telephone conversations several times, in which she explained the results of the inter-Korean summit, and frequently reviewed the situation regarding efforts to revive the US-North Korea summit.

Minister Kang and Secretary Pompeo agreed to continue to directly communicate with each other anytime, anywhere, if necessary.

Furthermore, the ROK side explained the results of the inter-Korean summit on May 26 to neighboring countries, including China, Japan, and Russia, and discussed ways they can work together to ensure the success of the US-North Korea summit.

Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Lee Do-hoon explained in detail the outcome of the inter-Korean summit to ambassadors to the ROK from the US, China, Japan, and Russia yesterday and today. He also closely consulted on ways to revive the US-North Korea summit, and to achieve complete denuclearization. The ROK will continue such diplomatic efforts in other major countries concerned, including the EU and ASEAN.

The Foreign Ministry will concentrate its diplomatic capability to the maximum extent possible on keeping alive the hard-won momentum for dialogue, and making a success of the US-North Korea summit, and thereby making historic progress in achieving complete denuclearization and establishing a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

In particular, as active coordination efforts regarding the US-North Korea summit between the two sides are expected to be made prior to the summit through working-level talks between the two sides, the Foreign Ministry will play all necessary roles, keeping a close watch on developments regarding consultations between the US and North Korea.

This is all for my opening statement.

[Q&A]

Q: First, regarding the reports that Secretary Pompeo will meet with Director of the United Front Department of North Korea Kim Yong-chol on the 30th, what information does the ROK government have, and what is the government’s position on that? Second, there are reports that at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the 24th, Secretary Pompeo said that the key in the US-North Korea summit is a package deal premised on exchanging CVID for CVIG. There is also talk that the outcome of the US-North Korea summit will be made into a treaty following ratification at the US Senate. I would like to know what the ROK government knows about this. Especially, I’d like to know if CVIG means guarantee of regime survival, or security guarantee. If that means guarantee of the survival of the communist regime, doesn’t the ROK government think that it could pose a problem if and when the ROK and North Korea are reunified?

A: To my knowledge, consultations between the US and North Korea to prepare for their summit are underway, but I do not think it is appropriate for the ROK government to specifically mention what is being discussed between the US and North Korea. On your second question, as President Moon Jae-in said, the US side said in the ROK-US summit on May 22 that it is very much willing to end hostile relations and promote economic cooperation with North Korea, if the North decides to denuclearize completely, and takes action to do so. However, consultations on ways to denuclearize are currently underway, so we will refrain from specifically talking about it.

Q: I have three questions. Could I ask them at once?

A: Please ask one at a time.

Q: I will do so. Fire broke out on bulk carrier Stellar Samba, owned by Polaris Shipping, off Brazilian coast at 12:01 p.m., May 26. According to related reports today, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said that it received a report of the accident two hours after it occurred, and immediately shared information with the Foreign Ministry. It also said that after it shared information with the Foreign Ministry, a Brazilian naval ship was sent to the scene. The accident happed on the 26th, but why did the ROK government make it public today?

A: You talked about the time when the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries shared information with us. On further details, and the reason why it was announced today, we will check further, and let you know later.

Q: I will ask a second question. I would like to know when the Foreign Ministry received information on the situation from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

A: I will check that as well, and let you know.

Q: This is a similar question. How much information on the situation does the Foreign Ministry have right now?

A: I will check that as well, and let you know.

Q: Earlier, you talked about what efforts the ROK government is making regarding the US-North Korea summit. With regard to Kim Yong-chol’s visit to China, to be followed by a visit to the US, did the Chinese or US sides inform the ROK government of it in advance?

A: I gave an answer to that in my opening statement today. Let me add that the ROK and the US are closely consulting and cooperating on all such matters.

Q: I heard that Ambassador Sung Kim and Vice Minister Choi Sun-hee had a working-level meeting at Panmunjeom. Today is the second day of the meeting. It would be difficult for you to mention any details, but is the meeting taking place?

A: As far as we know, working-level consultations between the US and North Korea are underway. However, it is difficult for us to confirm any details regarding the consultations, including the venue.

Q: Then, has the security situation at Panmunjeom changed?

A: I can’t give an answer to the question. I have no information on that.

Q: There is talk that after the US-North Korea summit, an ROK-North Korea-US summit could take place, or there could be an early declaration of the end of the war. Is there a possibility that China will be involved in such initiatives? Has there been any discussion on this?

A: The declaration of the end of the war will be pursued in close consultation with North Korea and other countries concerned.

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

* unofficial translation