Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Sep.18, 2012 14:30 KST.


Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

I will begin with five announcements.

First, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan will visit New York to attend the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly from September 23 to 28.

He will deliver a keynote speech on Friday, 29. On 24, he will participate in the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the rule of law, and preside over a high-level meeting on nuclear terrorism on 28.

At the Assembly, Minister Kim will hold bilateral talks with Foreign Ministers of approximately 30 countries and request support for the ROK’s bid for non-permanent Security Council seat of two years from 2013 to 2014.

Minister Kim will also attend the 1st session of the UN high-level panel meeting to discuss development agendas that will be pursued by the international community beginning from September 25, 2015.

Second announcement is on Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

The government of Kiribati has become the third country to submit the ratification document to GGGI after completing its domestic ratification process on the Agreement of International Organization establishment.

The legal validity of the Agreement on GGGI becomes effective 30 days after the third signatory submits the ratification document. Therefore, GGGI will be authorized as an international organization on October 18.

Yesterday, the Indonesian Ambassador to the ROK signed the Agreement on establishing GGGI, making Indonesia the 17th signatory.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will hold a signatory meeting with GGGI on September 19-20.

The meeting will discuss issues such as formation of chairman and vice chairman, board of directors, managerial regulations of general assembly and directorate, as well as the schedule for an inaugural assembly.

Minister Kim will hold a welcoming luncheon for delegations of participating countries on September 20.

The Ministry will also co-host an international symposium with GGGI and the Korean Society of Climate Change Research.

The symposium will be themed “Authorizing GGGI as an international organization: Korea’s future diplomatic strategies”. At the symposium, Minister Kim Sung-Hwan will give an opening address and Danish Environment Minister Ida Auken a keynote speech.

Other experts at home and abroad such as Professor Yoon Young-gwan at Seoul National University, GGGI’s executive director Richard Samans, lawmaker Gil Jeong-woo of Saenuri Party, lawmaker Kim Sung-gon of Democratic United Party, and Deputy Head of Mission Andrew Dalgleish of British Embassy Seoul, will attend.

Next is the meeting of consuls in charge of the accidents in Southeast Asia.

Consuls in charge of accidents, of 12 diplomatic missions in Southeast Asian region where many Koreans reside and travel to, will gather in Bankok to discuss measures to improve guarding the safety of Korean residents and travellers.

The meeting will be chaired by Ahn Young-jip, Director-general for overseas Koreans and consular affairs.

Next is news on Syria.

With the growing necessity of the international community’s support for the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria, the ROK government has decided to provide additional humanitarian assistance worth US$600,000 to its predetermined million dollars.

This additional support will be used for , relief activities in Jordan and Lebanon that are struggling with massive influx of Syrian refugees.

Lastly, a high-level policy consultation meeting will be held between the ROK and South Africa.

1st Vice Minister Ahn Ho-young of Foreign Affairs and Trade will hold “6th ROK-South Africa high-level policy consultation meeting” with South Africa’s International Relations Vice Minister Ebrahim on September 21 in Seoul.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of forging diplomatic ties between the ROK and South Africa. Therefore, this upcoming policy consultation meeting is expected to help strengthen substantial cooperation between the two countries.

This is all for my opening statement.

[Q&A]

Q: I understand that with Japan having provided all of its overseas diplomatic missions with the guidelines to conduct public relations campaigns to claim Dokdo, the ROK government has instructed its missions to take response measures. Could you give us more details of the instruction?

A: It has not been confirmed as to what guidelines the Japanese government has given to its diplomatic missions. As I have told you on a number of occasions, the ROK government will exert its utmost efforts to let the international community know that Dokdo is our territory.

As part of such efforts, necessary instructions as well as materials have already been provided to our diplomatic missions. The government will mobilize other various means to better inform the international community of its territorial rights to Dokdo.

Q: I know that you have already mentioned this a number of times. Please tell us how the government plans to raise the issues regarding Dokdo and the military sexual slavery victims at the UN General Assembly session.

A: The UN General Assembly consists of many sessions. Last year, for example, the Korean government raised at its 3rd Committee meeting the issue of sexual slavery victims drafted for the Japanese army. The government is closely looking into ways to raise this issue again this year.

I believe you, as journalists, are interested in knowing whether Foreign Minister Kim would mention the issue in his keynote speech. However, it is rare for the session, where his keynote speech will be delivered, to address purely bilateral issues.

In this vein, the government will choose the best possible approach, while taking into account other factors, such as the appropriateness of raising the issue at such an occasion and how Japan would respond.

Q: The National Assembly passed a resolution with regard to the case of Mr. Kim Young-hwan, right? There is talk that this resolution will be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council. When will that materialize? Will it also be delivered to the Chinese government?

A: The National Assembly resolution has been delivered to the Foreign Ministry, which, in turn, will send it to the Chair of the UN Human Rights Council. We will also try to send it to China.

Q: You said yesterday that you would consider asking a singer Psy to carry out promotional activities on Dokdo. Has there been any contact with him? If not, when do you plan to?

A: No, there has not been any contact yet. We have already told you that with regard to Dokdo, the government will make every effort to promote our sovereignty over the island and mobilize various means to this end, including SNSs, on-line and off-line.

As for appointing Psy as PR Ambassador for Dokdo, it is not something that can be determined by the government on its own. Please understand that this measure will be mulled as one of the means we will mobilize for our public relations campaign on Dokdo.

Q: I understand that Lim Sung-nam, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs, is visiting Washington. Is he in Washington to discuss any special issues? He visited China some time ago. Does he plan to visit Japan as well?

A: I don’t deem that his visit has any special purposes. I have not heard that he has a plan to visit Japan at this time.

The purpose of his visit to the US is the same as that of his recent visit to China. As I understand it, the purpose of his visit to the US is to review various issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and discuss ways to move forward with consultations on those issues, including the North Korean nuclear issue.

Q: To my knowledge, a Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue will take place in Dalian, China, next week. Has it been decided as to who will attend the meeting on behalf of the ROK government? Please tell us whether there will be North Korean delegates.

Q: I deem it inappropriate for us to mention whether a North Korean delegation would attend the meeting. We will attend the meeting. As for the level of the delegate to the meeting, it is expected to be similar to that of those sent to previous meetings.

For your information, Director-General-level officials attended the previous meetings.

Q: According to a domestic press report today, a US official expected to become one of the next foreign policy makers, met with Ambassador to the US Choi Young-jin and made remarks indicating that an alternative to the Six-party Talks should be sought. Have you heard from the Ambassador whether these remarks had indeed been made?

A: We have also seen the report. The members of the Six-party Talks share the view that the Six-party Talks are a useful instrument for a peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. This is my answer to your question.

I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.


*unofficial translation