1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met with a delegation from The Washington Times of the US on February 22, during which the two sides exchanged views on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and ways to beef up the Republic of Korea-United States alliance.

※ The delegation from The Washington Times included former Representative Dan Burton, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency James Woolsey and officials of The Washington Times.

※ The Washington Times, a daily newspaper from the Washington DC area, is a influential media outlet for the US political community.

2. Minister Kang extended appreciation to The Washington Times for its bridging role in the ROK-US communication; shared with the US delegation the plan of the ROK government to maintain the peaceful atmosphere fostered by North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and resumed inter-Korean talks in an effort to achieve the denuclearization, and to establish a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula; and asked for continued attention and support of the media outlet in that regard.

° The US delegation, commending the ROK government for its vigorous work toward a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, stated that The Washington Times will actively support the efforts to develop the ROK-US alliance.

3. The meeting between the Minister and the The Washington Times delegation is seen to have served as an opportunity to help the major US media outlet better understand the ROK government’s policy toward the Korean Peninsula and to further bolster the support base in the US.

* unofficial translation