Press Briefing

Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Noh Kyu-duk

June 26, 2018  14:30  KST

Good afternoon.

Before I start today’s briefing, let me introduce you to special guests joining us here today.

Nine journalists from six Latin American countries (Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Chile), who are on a visit to the Republic of Korea at the invitation of the ROK Foreign Ministry, are joining us here at today’s press briefing. The journalists arrived in the ROK yesterday, and will stay for about one week. They will cover the Korea-Latin America and Caribbean Future Cooperation Forum 2018, to be held this week, and visit major organizations as well as security-related and cultural sites. Please welcome them with a round of applause.

Let me start today’s briefing.

First, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, and meet with her Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 2.

2018 is a meaningful year which marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Thailand. Minister Kang’s upcoming visit to Thailand reciprocates the Thai Foreign Minister’s visit to the ROK in May. In the meeting, Minister Kang will ask Thailand, ASEAN’s chair for 2019, to continue to support the ROK government’s New Southern Policy and Korean Peninsula policy.

Minister Kang’s visit to Thailand is expected to contribute to further strengthening the ROK-Thailand relations, and facilitating the implementation of the New Southern Policy.

Moving on to the next topic, the “13th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity” will take place under the theme “Reengineering Peace for Asia” at the International Convention Center Jeju from June 26 to 28.

Minister Kang will host an official dinner on June 27. Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun will deliver opening remarks at a session co-hosted by the Foreign Ministry and the Asan Institute for Policy Studies under the theme “nexus between peace and development cooperation” on June 27. Vice Minister Cho will also deliver a keynote speech at a diplomats’ roundtable to be held on the morning of June 28.

As a major sponsor of the Jeju Forum, a representative public forum in the regime aimed at promoting peace and prosperity in Asia, the Foreign Ministry has been actively participating in the forum, whose significance is growing in the area of public diplomacy.

This is all for my opening statement.

[Q&A]

Q: Yesterday, the military authorities of the ROK and North Korea agreed to restore military communication lines as soon as possible. To restore military communication lines, optical fiber cables need to be installed additionally, but to my understanding, the optical fiber cable is on the list of goods banned from export to North Korea. What is the Foreign Ministry’s position on this?

A: Basically, the issue is handled by the ROK military authorities, so please contact them. Let me just say that it is the ROK government’s basic position that in dealing with inter-Korean relations, it will work to make sure that the issue of international sanctions on North Korea or other related issues do not arise. Thus, we expect such issue to be handled appropriately in line with the government’s basic position.

Q: As far as I know, the fourth meeting on the ROK-US Special Measures Agreement began today at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy. What issues will the ROK government focus on in the meeting? What impact do you think the announcement on the suspension of the ROK-US joint military drills will have on the meeting?

A: The ROK and the US are holding consultations on the Agreement based on their shared understanding of the importance of the ROK-US alliance, and mutual trust. It is the ROK government’s position that it will continue to shoulder its fair share of the cost at a reasonable level to ensure the stable stationing of the US forces in the ROK, which have played a central role in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. I will refrain from mentioning specific details regarding the negotiations, as they are still underway. We have always provided necessary explanations to make coverage more convenient and to improve the accuracy of news stories. Thus, I think that there will be an opportunity for us to brief the media on this later at an appropriate time.

Q: There were some reports yesterday that the ROK and the US are considering holding bilateral high-level consultations before follow-up negotiations between the US and North Korea. What is the Foreign Ministry’s position on this?

A: You mean before negotiations between the US and North Korea…

Q: Will the ROK-US high-level meeting take place?

A: Yes. In the meeting between the ROK Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State on June 14, the two countries agreed to concretize strategies and implementation measures to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and to establish peace on the Peninsula through high-level consultations and close working-level consultations. As far as I know, the two countries are considering holding the consultations mentioned in the reports yesterday in accordance with the agreement.

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

Thank you.

* unofficial translation