1. On the sidelines of the 53rd Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met bilaterally with High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini of the EU on February 18, during which the two sides discussed in depth ways to respond to North Korea’s nuclear tests and long-range missile provocations as well as ways for the Republic of Korea and the EU to work together on crisis management.

2. The two sides, taking note of the close ROK-EU cooperation in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue, agreed to seek the full range of available means to make the North abandon its nuclear ambitions. In particular, the two ranking officials, calling North Korea’s launch of a ballistic missile on February 12 another proof that it is accelerating efforts to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities in defiance of the strong and unified warnings from the international community, shared the view that the year 2017 would be a watershed for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

° Minister Yun commended the EU for faithfully implementing the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, enforcing tough, unilateral sanctions against North Korea and thereby taking an active part in the international efforts to pressure the North. He asked the EU to exert its leverage over the North through unilateral sanctions and diplomatic pressure and thereby join the international efforts to enforce comprehensive, across-the-board sanctions on the North in a bid to give North Korea no other option but to change its strategic calculus and take the path toward denuclearization.

° High Representative Mogherini, expressing grave concern over North Korea’s accelerating efforts to advance its nuclear and missile capabilities, stated that the EU, which has been enforcing unilateral sanctions and implementing and supporting the implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, will make further efforts to draw up tougher, concrete measures than its previous package of unilateral sanctions against the North.

3. The two sides, hailing the ongoing development of the ROK-EU strategic partnership on bilateral, regional and global levels, noted with appreciation that the scope of the bilateral strategic partnership is broadening to include crisis management, as can be seen from the plan of the ROK’s Cheonghae unit to take part in late February in the Atalanta, the counter-piracy operation to be undertaken by the EU in Somalia as part of its crisis management operations.

4. The seventh ROK-EU foreign ministerial meeting since High Representative Mogherini took up the current post in November 2014 is seen to have played role in efforts to step up cooperation in pressuring and sanctioning North Korea with the EU, a significant pillar along with the ROK, the US and Japan in the international collaboration in addressing the North Korean nuclear issue, and to boost the ROK-EU strategic partnership.


* unofficial translation