1. On the morning of Friday, June 13, the Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence, Mr. Cho Koo-rae, met with the Senior Bureau Official for the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Mr. Sean O’Neill, during his visit to the Republic of Korea. The two officials exchanged views and shared assessments on various issues of mutual interest, including the Korean Peninsula issue.

2. Vice Minister Cho welcomed Mr. O’Neill as the first senior U.S. diplomatic official to visit the ROK since the inauguration of the new government in the ROK. He stated that the ROK government will continue to maintain strong deterrence against North Korea based on the ROK-U.S. alliance, while working towards reducing tensions and building confidence with North Korea with the aim of resuming dialogue and making tangible progress in achieving lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

3. Both sides shared the view that close policy coordination between the two countries remains essential as it has been thus far, and agreed to further enhance communication at all levels.