1. Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Hong-kyun delivered keynote remarks on “a future vision and diplomatic strategies for peace on the Korean Peninsula” at Session 3 -- Ambassadors’ Roundtable on “How to Deal with North Korea’s Nuclear Threats” -- of the 2016 Conference on Global Affairs, which was hosted by the Korea National Diplomatic Academy on October 26.

2. In his keynote remarks, Special Representative Kim, bringing renewed attention to the fact that around the time of North Korea’s fourth and fifth nuclear tests, sanctions against Iran and Myanmar had been lifted. He underscored the spreading common perception in the international community that North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities, which are growing at an unprecedentedly fast pace, pose a grave threat beyond the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia to the entire international community and that there is a pressing and urgent need to resolve this issue.

° The Special Representative brought renewed attention to the fact that the international community, through unprecedentedly strong sanctions imposed by the Security Council, unilateral sanctions imposed by individual countries, and the global pressure on North Korea, has made real progress on the North Korean issue.

° He explained that the government of the Republic of Korea in close coordination with the US and the international community, will use all its available capabilities in enforcing across-the-board sanctions and putting pressure on North Korea; put a credible military deterrence in place; and take a holistic approach to resolve nuclear and other issues of North Korea, in efforts to prompt the North onto the path of denuclearization.

3. Special Representative Kim pointed out that with North Korea seeking advances in its nuclear and missile capabilities with maniacal obsession, unhesitantly manifesting the will to actually use its nuclear arsenal and thereby demonstrating the total lack of intention to denuclearize, a dialogue with no clear purpose will justify the North’s bad behavior and allow it to buy more time for the advancement of its nuclear weapons. On that note, he stressed that it is necessary to further tighten sanctions and intensify pressure on the North until it realizes that it has no other option but to opt for the right course of denuclearization.

4. In his remarks, Special Representative Kim explained in detail the outcome of an assessment of North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and the ROK government’s response strategies.

5. By delivering the remarks, Special Representative Kim is seen to have helped the participants, including Ambassadors in the Korean Peninsula Club and relevant experts, better understand North Korean threats as well as the ROK government’s position and countermeasures, and thereby explore possible diplomatic efforts that the ROK government can make to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.


* unofficial translation