Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Mar. 27, 2014 14:30 KST


Good afternoon. I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long.

Let me start today’s briefing.

Today, I have two announcements to make.

First, I will comment on the remarks made by Japan’s Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Shimomura yesterday.

The government of the Republic of Korea attaches significance to Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s remarks that the historical view of former Japanese Cabinets expressed in such statement as the Murayama Statement will be honored and that he has no plan to revise the Kono Statement.

Minister Shimomura, who should instill a correct view of history in growing generations of Japan, mentioned that the Murayama Statement and the Kono Statement do not represent the unified view of the Japanese government that should be taken into account in the process of approving textbooks. The ROK government deems these remarks very unhelpful.

It is the position of the ROK government that such words and actions should not be repeated.

Moving on to the second and last announcement, the 2014 meeting of heads of the ROK’s overseas diplomatic missions will take place from March 31 through April 4 with a total of 123 heads of missions in attendance.

The meeting will cover the government’s key policy objectives for the year – “laying the groundwork for an era of a reunified Korean Peninsula” and “taking an economic leap.”

It will also discuss ways to achieve the aforementioned objects by carrying out and producing tangible achievements from diplomacy for a “peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula” and “creative economy.”

The meeting will start with a briefing by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se on the foreign policy direction for the year, followed by a lecture by the First Deputy Director of the National Security Council at the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae on “the ROK’s security environment and laying the groundwork for reunification.”

The Unification Minister will also give a lecture on “the ROK government’s policies on North Korea and reunification.”

In terms of “diplomacy for creative economy,” the Senior Secretary to the President for Economic Affairs will deliver a lecture on “ways to implement the three-year plan for economic innovations,” and the Minister of Employment and Labor will give another on “the role of overseas diplomatic missions in expanding the presence of Korean youth overseas.”

The meeting will also serve as an opportunity to reinforce communication between the government and various stakeholders in the private sector and review the role and challenges of overseas missions in a multi-dimensional manner.

The mission chiefs will also visit a multi-cultural family support center and other facilities and participate in volunteer work at a rehabilitation center, a child-care center and a shelter for women in an effort to reach further out to the public.

This is all for my opening statement.


[Q&A]

Q: Please share with us your assessment of the recent ROK-US-Japan summit. In particular, what did you think about Japanese Prime Minister extending greetings in Korean?

A: The ROK-US-Japan summit is seen to have served as an opportunity to once again reaffirm their close coordination on the North Korean nuclear issue. What was your second question?

Q: What did you think about Japanese Prime Minister extending greetings in Korean?

A: I have nothing particular to say about that.

Q: A staffer of the House of Sharing reportedly met with a policy-related director of the Japanese Foreign Ministry. What do you make of this meeting?

A: I understand that there was such a meeting, although it was neither arranged nor attended by anyone from the ROK Foreign Ministry.

Q: Following the recent visit to North Korea by China’s Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs Wu Dawei, a director-general of the North Korean Foreign Ministry Choe Son-hui is reportedly on a visit to China. The ROK, the US and Japan have agreed to hold a meeting of head delegates to the Six-Party Talks. North Korea might have a different view in this regard. Did the ROK government receive from the Chinese side any briefing on the content of North Korea-China meetings? If so, what did the Chinese side say?

Moving on, when the ROK, the US and Japan hold trilateral meetings, they would probably discuss other topics, such as China and Russia. How does the ROK government intend to coordinate such matters with the other sides? Please give us a rough idea at the least.

A: In terms of your first question, as I told you in a previous briefing right here, the ROK and Chinese governments maintain close communication on the North Korean nuclear issue.

With regard to your second question, at the recent ROK-US-Japan summit, the three countries agreed to hold a meeting of their head delegates to the Six-Party Talks. Let me add that the ROK government will consult with the US and the Japanese sides to set up a specific plan.

Q: You did not answer my other question on whether the ROK government has received any relevant briefing from the Chinese side.

A: I understand that the ROK government has received a briefing. That is what I meant when I said that the ROK and Chinese governments maintain close communication.

Q: You have confirmed to us that an official of the Japanese Foreign Ministry met a staffer of the House of Sharing. Please tell us the purpose of the meeting as well as the content of their conversation.

A: It would be appropriate for you to inquire that of the people concerned.

Q: The ROK government cited a slightly sincere change in the Japanese attitude as the reason for accepting, albeit reluctantly, the offer to attend the ROK-US-Japan summit. The most significant event that would demonstrate Japan’s changed attitude would be the ROK-Japan director-general-level meeting on the issue of sexual slavery victims drafted for Japan’s Imperial Armed Forces, which is scheduled for next month. Could you give us more details about this meeting, such as to what extent relevant consultations have moved forward, when the meeting will take place, and its agenda?

A: It is natural for you to be interested in obtaining relevant details. All I can share with you at this point, though, is that relevant consultations are under way. I believe more details will be provided to you at an appropriate time.

Q: With regard to that ROK-Japan director-general-level consultative mechanism, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga mentioned earlier today that there are various bilateral issues other than that of sexual slavery victims to be covered by the mechanism. Some in Japan have reportedly expressed hope to discuss territorial and various other issues. What is the ROK government’s position on that?

A: Please refer to what I said in terms of the bilateral director-general-level meeting. I have nothing else to add.

Q: I have a related question. Even if the director-general-level meeting is not one of those to take place under Article 3 of the ROK-Japan Claims Settlement Agreement, is the ROK government willing to hold it?

A: I recall you asking a similar question at the previous briefing.

As it has reiterated time and again, the ROK government stresses that the Japanese government should resolve this issue as soon as possible and in a way that is acceptable to the victims. That is the purpose of this director-general-level meeting.

Q: In a press conference held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan yesterday, Shintaro Ishihara, a co-leader of the Japan Restoration Party, said that Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula had been for self-defense of Japan. What does the ROK government make of these remarks?

A: In fact, I have heard and read about so many remarks by that particular Japanese. He has made inappropriate remarks on uncountable occasions.

He should take a look inside himself. The aforementioned remarks illustrate how egoistic and self-centered a person can be. He should be ashamed of himself.

Q: With regard to the ROK-Japan director-general-level consultative mechanism to be convened next month, you have mentioned that the Japanese government should resolve the issue of sexual slavery victims as soon as possible. Is it the ROK government’s position that the consultative mechanism is for intensive discussions on the issue?

A: I believe I already answered that question a little ago.

Q: The UN Security Council has reportedly convened a meeting on North Korea’s missile launch. What position will the ROK government express at the meeting?

A: The ROK government clearly expressed its position on North Korea’s launch of ballistic missiles in a statement issued under the name of the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson yesterday. To my knowledge, a UN Security Council meeting will take place on the afternoon of March 27, New York time.

The ROK government will consult closely with member states of the UN Security Council in an effort for the Security Council to come up with countermeasures.

Q: With regard to the issue of sexual slavery victims, experts in Japan, and even some in the ROK, say that Japan did make efforts to provide compensation to victims. Such efforts include setting up the Asian Women’s Fund in 1995 under then Prime Minister Murayama in the wake of the issuance of the Kono Statement. Although the fund was established with fund from the private sector, it was the Japanese government that led the establishment of the fund. And some sexual slavery victims are said to have received compensation. Despite this, does the ROK government still deem that the Japanese side has not provided any compensation at all? Or does it acknowledge that the Japanese government has paid compensation, albeit in part?

A: The ROK government has made very clear its position on that, which I reiterated a little ago. Please refer to that.

Q: President Park Geun-hye cited a guaranteed stoppage of sophistication of North Korea's nuclear capabilities as a precondition for resuming dialogue. To what extent should this be guaranteed?

A: I have nothing specific to say in that regard right here.

Q: You mentioned a little ago that the ROK-US-Japan summit in The Hague had served as an opportunity to reaffirm their close coordination on the North Korean nuclear issue. Does the ROK government consider this meeting the first step toward the improvement in the ROK-Japan relations? Or does it think that there is still a long way to go?

A: I think you already know the answer to your own question. There is this position that the ROK government has already expressed, and relevant decisions will be made in line with that.

Q: According to a Sankei Shimbun report, Japan would establish an investigation committee on anti-Japanese sentiment and activities in the ROK and China. What does the ROK government make of this reported plan?

A: I have read about that story in a Korean press report. The ROK neither harbors anti-Japanese sentiment nor carries out such activities. We are merely telling people in Japan with wrong ideas to acknowledge and correct their erroneous attitude. The view underlying the reported Japanese plan is misgrounded.

I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.


* unofficial translation