1. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam attended the fourth vice foreign ministerial meeting among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan in Honolulu, the US, on July 14. The US and Japanese head delegates to the meeting were Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama, respectively.

° At the beginning of the meeting, Vice President Joseph Biden of the US delivered encouraging remarks, in which he mentioned that the ROK, the US and Japan share basic values and a future vision for the Asia-Pacific region and expressed hope for a continued increase in the trilateral cooperation.

° The Vice President, bringing attention to the US plan to push ahead with its “rebalance toward the Asia-Pacific” policy, affirmed its commitment to further strengthen its alliances with the ROK and Japan, which serve as the basis for the implementation of the policy.

° The Vice President, calling the international norms-based order a significant foundation for peace and prosperity in all the countries in the region, voiced hope that continued efforts will be made to continuously protect the order.

2. In the meeting that took the form of policy consultation, the ranking diplomats discussed in depth North Korea and its nuclear issue, the top priority of the three countries, as well as the situation in the region and ways to work more closely together on global issues.

3. With regard to North Korea and its nuclear issue, the Vice Ministers and the Deputy Secretary, calling North Korea’s nuclear and missile development a grave, direct threat to all the three countries and an obstacle to peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community, strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear and missile development. They agreed to step up trilateral coordination aimed at the denuclearization of North Korea.

° Deputy Secretary Blinken stated that in response to the growing threat from North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, the US will take measures necessary for ensuring the safety of its allies and their peoples. In that vein, he took note of the recent ROK-US decision to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to US Forces Korea, adding that it is not targeted at any third country.

4. The Vice Ministers and the Deputy Secretary noted with appreciation the progress in the international efforts to pressure North Korea, including under the unprecedentedly tough UN Security Council Resolution 2270, led by the collaboration among the ROK, the US and Japan. They agreed to make robust efforts for a continuous and thorough implementation of the Security Council resolution.

° The three ranking officials made it clear that the goal of the sanctions against North Korea lies in making North Korea change its strategic calculus and thereby achieving the denuclearization of North Korea. They agreed to enforce sanctions against North Korea in a systemic, comprehensive and continuous manner as long as North Korea repeatedly engages in provocations.

° The three high-level diplomats, taking note of the US sanctions against human rights abusers in North Korea, agreed to continue seeking more creative and effective ways to pressure North Korea.

5. Exchanging views on the South China Sea issue, the Vice Ministers and the Deputy Secretary drew a common understanding that it is important to guarantee freedom of navigation and overflight and to seek a peaceful solution to the dispute, and that it is necessary to resolve the issue through diplomatic efforts by drawing upon the relevant agreements and demilitarization pledges.

6. The Vice Ministers and the Deputy Secretary, noting with appreciation the progress in the trilateral cooperation, including that sought at the trilateral consultations on development cooperation policy and on Middle East policy, agreed to actively seek cooperation in various fields, including the Arctic, space and environment, and thereby to enhance global partnership.


* unofficial translation