Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Repub : Spokesperson's Press Briefing (January 14, 2016)

Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho June-hyuck
Jan. 14, 2016 14:30 KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today's briefing.

Today, I will tell you about the key consultations that have been held or arranged to seek responses to North Korea's recent nuclear test.

First, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se held a telephone conference with Foreign Minister Lavrov of Russia yesterday, January 13.

Minister Lavrov, calling the recent nuclear test by North Korea a flagrant violation of the UN Security Council resolutions, mentioned that in responding to the test, Russia will consult closely with the relevant countries, including the Republic of Korea, and take an active part in relevant UN Security Council discussions.

In a similar move, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Hwang Joon-kook held a consultation with the US and Japanese head delegates to the Six-Party Talks yesterday evening.

The ROK, the US and Japan agreed on the need to make North Korea pay a price commensurate to its nuclear test through pressure diplomacy differentiated from that of the past and agreed to first concentrate their diplomatic efforts on getting the Security Council to adopt a strong and comprehensive sanctions resolution.

This morning, Special Representative Hwang left for Beijing, China, to continue close communication and cooperation with China through a consultation with the Chinese head delegate to the Six-Party Talks, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs Wu Dawei of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

On Saturday, January 16, First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam will attend the second vice foreign ministerial meeting among the ROK, the US and Japan in Tokyo, Japan.

Vice Minister Lim will discuss with US Deputy Secretary of State Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Saiki ways to coordinate on this North Korean issue based on the outcome of the series of meetings among the head delegates to the Six-Party Talks from the ROK, the US and Japan and from the ROK and China. Also among the agenda will be situations in other regions of the world.

Also, Vice Minister Lim held a telephone conference with US Deputy Secretary Blinken yesterday, January 13, with regard to ways to respond to North Korea's nuclear test.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Shin Dong-ik will visit New York from January 18 to 20. During the visit, he will hold meetings with Ambassadors to the UN from member states of the UN Security Council, including the US, China and Japan, to discuss the draft of the sanctions resolution on North Korea, which is currently being worked on at the UN Security Council.

Lastly, Special Representative Hwang will meet with the Russian head delegate to the Six-Party Talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Morgulov, in Moscow on January 19, wrapping up the series of meetings with the five member states of the Six-Party Talks minus North Korea.

The ROK government will continue close communication and cooperation with the international community in order to draw up a strong and effective UN Security Council resolution and implement effective sanctions at the bilateral and multilateral levels.

This is all for my opening statement.

[Q&A]

Q: In his annual State of the Union address for the year 2016, US President Obama did not make a direct mention about North Korea, which recently conducted its fourth nuclear test. What does the ROK Foreign Ministry make of this?

A: Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes of the US mentioned it in a press briefing yesterday, US time. He clearly said that what is of importance is that 'This (North Korean issue) is of a huge priority to President Obama.' He clearly said so verbatim.

And there were explanations as to why the US President had not mentioned the North Korean nuclear issue in his State of the Union address. So, I see no need to explain or add anything here. Nonetheless, what is of paramount importance is how closely the ROK and the US are consulting with each other on the issue.

As you must be well aware, at the bilateral summit talks in October 2015, the ROK and the US agreed to 'commit to address the North Korean nuclear issue with utmost urgency and determination.' This is an ROK-US joint statement, the first of its kind that exclusively covers North Korea and its nuclear issue. This demonstrates the high priority of the issue.

On the heels of the recent nuclear test by North Korea, US President Obama made a phone call to President Park and underscored the need to impose strong and comprehensive sanctions, clearly saying that to this end, the US will coordinate closely with the ROK. US Secretary of State Kerry, on his part and in a rare move, issued a special statement and held a telephone conference with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. As can be seen from these, close consultations are under way between the ROK and the US both at the UN and between the capitals.

In terms of the military, the ROK and the US are maintaining a firm combined defense posture based on the solid US commitment to the defense of the ROK, including by swiftly sending such strategic assets as a B-52 to the ROK. As demonstrated by such moves, the close consultations between the ROK and the US are moving forward in a very swift and solid manner.

Q: I have two to three questions about China. First, the ROK government has reiterated on numerous occasions that it shares with China the principle of non-tolerance for a nuclear North Korea. In her address yesterday, President Park Geun-hye mentioned that China has repeatedly and publicly expressed its resolve not to accept a nuclear North Korea.

However, some point out that the aforementioned principle or resolve is somewhat different from the principle of achieving the denuclearization of the entire Korean Peninsula, which the Chinese government has publicly said that it upholds. Has the Chinese government ever formally or publicly mentioned that it upholds the principle of non-tolerance for a nuclear North Korea, aside from its basic policy for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula? If so, please share with us what it said.

In addition, according to some press reports, a considerable gap between the current positions of the ROK and Chinese governments on the North Korean nuclear issue was exposed in the telephone conversation between their Foreign Ministers. In the regular press briefings of the Chinese Foreign Ministry on January 12 and 13, asked about the Chinese government's position regarding the demand from some countries following North Korea's nuclear test that China strongly sanction North Korea, the Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry highlighted the principle of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula as a way to prevent nuclear proliferation. He added that in order to make joint efforts for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to maintain peace and stability in Northeast Asia, it is most imperative that all the relevant countries return to the path of dialogue and negotiations. In short, he underscored dialogue and negotiations rather than sanctions.

What is the ROK government's position on this Chinese stance? Do you expect China to join the UN Security Council in imposing tough sanctions on North Korea?

A: Thank you (for your questions). Your questions are very long. Let me answer your questions based on my understanding. Your questions are about very important things.

Your first question was about the principle of non-tolerance for a nuclear North Korea. As you must be aware, President Park Geun-hye and President Xi Jinping held their bilateral summit talks on July 3, 2014. In the joint statement issued after the talks, the two countries reaffirmed their resolute opposition to the nuclear weapons development on the Korean Peninsula, publicly expressing their resolve not to accept a nuclear North Korea.

In its latest statement condemning North Korea (for its recent nuclear test), the Chinese government expressed stern opposition to the repeated nuclear test by North Korea and strongly urged North Korea to sincerely implement its denuclearization commitments and halt all the destabilizing actions.

Regarding your second question about the Chinese government's emphasis on dialogue and negotiations rather than sanctions, North Korea's latest nuclear test is a grave issue that can lead to a significant change in the security situation of not only the Korean Peninsula but also Northeast Asia and that can fundamentally change the nature of the North Korean nuclear issue.

Therefore, it is the firm position of the ROK government that the response from the international community to North Korea's latest nuclear test should differ from that of the past. This is a position shared by many countries, and about 79 countries have already issued statements condemning North Korea's latest nuclear test.

China has repeatedly said that it will faithfully implement Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea and play a constructive role under the firm principle of no tolerance for North Korea's nuclear weapons.

The ROK hopes that China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, will play a necessary role in responding to North Korea's flagrant violation of Security Council resolutions, as China has publicly pledged. To that end, the ROK and China will closely consult with each other.

Q: I have another question on the issue. Despite such principle, the leaders of the ROK and China have not even held a telephone conversation after North Korea's fourth nuclear test, and some are criticizing that the ROK's foreign policy which assumes that China will impose sanctions on North Korea has failed. There are also concerns over whether the ROK government can actually pressure the Chinese government to join the international community in imposing strong sanctions against North Korea.

The Foreign Ministry is saying that the Chinese government will actively participate in imposing sanctions against North Korea, but if China does not impose strong sanctions against North Korea, does the Foreign Ministry have any other plan to address the issue? Also in that case, is the Foreign Ministry going to review the ROK-China diplomatic relations all over again?

A: In my last briefing, I talked about the importance of the ROK-China relations in details. Regarding what you have asked, major concerned countries, including the ROK, the US and China, are holding in-depth consultations on the text of a new Security Council sanctions resolution, so I do not think that I can make any comments at this point based on prejudgments on what attitude the Chinese side will show.

The ROK government thinks that it is important to make North Korea face consequences commensurate to its latest nuclear test. Therefore, I would say that the ROK government will take all measures to achieve this end at the Security Council level, including China, and through bilateral channels.

Q: I have a question on the ROK-Japan relations. I am not sure if it is today, but a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan made groundless claims, preposterously using the expression 'professional prostitutes' in describing former 'comfort women.' What is the ROK government's position on that and what measures does it plan to take?

A: Let me say a few words on the news report. I do not even feel the slightest need to respond to such an ignorant and reckless remark of a mere lawmaker who is shameless in front of history. It is the international community's common view that the 'comfort women' issue is a matter of wartime sexual violence committed on a large scale against women who were forcibly taken in the process of the expansion of Japan's imperialism, as well as a matter of a serious violation of human rights.

As such, on December 28 last year, Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida made clear the Japanese government's responsibility by saying that the issue of 'comfort women' was a matter which, with the involvement of the Japanese military authorities of the day, severely injured the honor and dignity of many women, and that the Japanese government painfully acknowledges its responsibility. I also want to remind you of the fact that Prime Minister Abe, in his capacity as Prime Minister of Japan, also publicly and officially expressed apologies and remorse to the 'comfort women.'

What is important now is to create an environment and ambience to faithfully implement measures to follow up on the agreement between the ROK and Japan without once again hurting the already-wounded hearts of the 'comfort women.'

Q: I have another related question. I would like you to tell us if refraining from such reckless remark is also part of follow-up measures to the agreement. The reason I am asking this is because an ROK government official said that regarding the word 'irreversible' in the agreement reached on December 28, the ROK side had proposed setting the faithful implementation of follow-up measures as a precondition for the irreversible resolution of the issue.

Then, if the precondition that follow-up measures should be faithfully implemented includes not only 1 billion yen to a fund for the 'comfort women,' but also the Japanese government's acknowledgement and apology, I think the Japanese government's restraint from making such reckless remark can also be included in the precondition. What is the ROK government's position on that?

A: I fully understand why and what you are asking. As I just said, such preposterous remarks by Japanese politicians should not continue, and what is important at this point is that follow-up measures should be implemented smoothly, swiftly and faithfully. I deem it important to create an environment and ambience for that.

Q: A related question. As you said, the Japanese government already acknowledged the involvement of the Japanese military authorities and its responsibility, but remarks denying the true nature of the 'comfort women' issue are coming out of the Japanese ruling party. Don't you think that the Japanese government should publicly refute such reckless comments, if it respects the spirit of the agreement?

A: What is important is that the governments of the two countries need to take steps based on what is in the agreement reached on December 28.

Q: I will ask a last question. What is the Foreign Ministry's position on Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)? The THAAD debate is being ignited once again.

A: I understand that the THAAD issue was mentioned in President Park Geun-hye's address to the nation yesterday, and the spokesperson of the Ministry of National Defense also expressed its position on the issue in a press briefing this morning. The ROK government holds the firm position that it will continue to review the issue of the US Forces Korea's deployment of THAAD, taking into account risks posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, as well as the ROK's security and national interests.

I will conclude today's briefing. Thank you.

*unofficial translation