1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin met with Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), who is on his visit to the Republic of Korea from December 14 to 16 at the invitation of Foreign Minister Park, and had a dinner together at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on December 15.

2. Foreign Minister Park welcomed him on his first visit to Korea since his assumption of office as Director General in 2019. Minister Park said that he expects this visit, the first in five years by an IAEA Director General, will further bolster cooperation between Korea and the IAEA.

o Foreign Minister Park commended the continuous efforts of the Agency in urging North Korea to return to compliance with the global nonproliferation regime, and reiterated the Korean government’s commitment to achieving complete denuclearization of the DPRK in closer cooperation with the IAEA.

o In addition, Minister Park said that he appreciates the Director General’s efforts for securing the safety and security of nuclear power plants in Ukraine and that Korea will continue to support the IAEA’s activities in this regard. The Minister also said that Korea will keep contributing to the IAEA’s various projects to expand the benefits of peaceful uses of nuclear energy. 

3. Director General Grossi expressed his deep gratitude for Korea’s hospitality despite his unanticipated change of plans to visit. He appreciated the service of Korea as Chair of the IAEA Board of Governors for the past year. 

※ Korea chaired the IAEA Board of Governors from September 2021 to October 2022. 

o The Director General added that the Agency will continue to closely monitor the DPRK’s nuclear activities and enhance its verification capabilities, while raising awareness of the Member States on this issue. 

4. Minister Park and Director General Grossi agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Korea and the IAEA for the Agency’s thorough examination on the safe disposal of the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. 

o In particular, Minister Park conveyed the Korean public’s concern over Japan’s plan to discharge the contaminated water into the sea, and stressed that the water should be disposed of safely from an objective and scientific perspective while adhering to international standards. Minister Park added that he expects Korea’s experts and institutions to continue to participate in the IAEA’s review and monitoring activities.

o Director General Grossi expressed his understanding on the concern that the people of Korea and neighboring countries share, stating that the IAEA will actively play its role as necessary in the entire disposal process. 

5. Foreign Minister Park and Director General Grossi exchanged their views on a number of issues such as prospects for the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and new career opportunities at the IAEA for Korean experts. They also reaffirmed their efforts to further strengthen the Korea-IAEA relationship.