1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lim Sung-nam visited the United Kingdom and met with Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Mark Field on July 17. They discussed the ROK-UK relations, as well as the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.

2. Vice Minister Lim explained that his visit to the UK is part of the ROK government’s foreign policy efforts to go beyond its long-standing diplomacy focused on four major powers surrounding the Korean Peninsula and strengthen diplomacy towards Europe, ASEAN and other regions. Vice Minister Lim said that the ROK government hopes to continue to expand cooperation with the UK, the ROK’s strategic partner and second-largest trading partner within the EU.

o The two sides expressed satisfaction over the fact that the ROK-UK relations have developed significantly in a range of areas, including economy, trade, finance, science, technology, national defense and the defense industry. In order to advance the bilateral relations, they agreed to continue to cooperate to further facilitate high-level exchanges on various occasions, including the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

3. The two sides expressed satisfaction over the fact that substantive cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened, as demonstrated by the increase in bilateral trade and investment, and took note that the two countries are closely working together to maintain a stable framework for trade and investment between the two countries even after Brexit, including by holding meetings of the bilateral Trade Working Group.

o Vice Minister Lim expressed hope that the ROK will help further enhance the ROK-UK relations by pursuing a new FTA with the UK after Brexit, and contribute significantly to stability and development of Europe seeking to find a new order in the wake of Brexit.

4. Vice Minister Lim explained the ROK government’s position that the government will make efforts towards dialogue, while maintaining sanctions and pressure on North Korea at the same time. He also hoped to see more strategic communications and cooperation between the ROK and the UK, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major EU country.

o Minister of State Field stressed that the North Korean nuclear issue is no longer a regional security issue, but instead a global security issue, and thus the international community needs to solve the problem before everything else. The Minister of State said that the UK government will closely work together with the ROK government to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and establish peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

5. The two sides took note that the two countries have so far closely cooperated to respond to global issues, and agreed to continue the tradition of mutual support and cooperation on the global stage, including elections for non-permanent members of the UN Security Council and members of the Human Rights Council.

6. Vice Minister Lim’s visit to the UK served as an opportunity to explore ways to increase substantive cooperation with the UK, the ROK’s strategic partner, after Brexit; strengthen diplomatic relations at the bilateral and multilateral levels; and reaffirm the country’s commitment to working together to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.


* unofficial translation