Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Repub : Spokesperson's Press Briefing (January 5, 2017)

Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho June-hyuck
Jan. 5, 2017 14:30 KST

Good afternoon. Let me start today's briefing.

Today, I have two announcements to make.

First, on January 5, First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam will attend the sixth vice foreign ministerial meeting among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan. On the next day, January 6, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office Cho Tae-yong, together with Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will hold the fifth ROK-US high-level strategic consultation in Washington DC.

The ROK-US high-level strategic consultation, having been held four times since the first of its kind took place pursuant to the agreement reached at the bilateral summit talks in October 2015, has played a big role in the ROK and the US-led efforts to build a frame for global sanctions and pressure on North Korea in response to the North's repeated nuclear and ballistic missile provocations in 2016.

In particular, the consultation will come merely two week ahead of the launch of the new US administration, reflecting the US government's commitment to intensify pressure on North Korea to the highest level possible before the inauguration of the incoming US administration and to maintain this stance during the tenure of the new administration.

In this light, at the forthcoming consultation, the two countries will review the progress in the enforcement of sanctions and pressure on North Korea made over the past year and discuss in depth ways for the international community to tighten sanctions and pressure on the North, including thoroughly implementing and monitoring the implementation of the latest, relevant UN Security Council resolution.

Moving on to the second and last announcement, Second Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Chong-ghee will visit the US from January 9 to 11 to preside over the second ROK-US Senior Economic Dialogue and a meeting on the progress in the work by the High Level Bilateral Commission on nuclear cooperation.

On January 9, Vice Minister Ahn, together with Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine Novelli, will chair the second ROK-US Senior Economic Dialogue. In the meeting, the two sides will discuss the progress in bilateral economic cooperation and ways to step up cooperation in new frontiers, including development, space, climate change and the Arctic. They will also exchange views on regional and global economic issues.

Later in the day, the Vice Minister, together with Deputy Secretary Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall of the US Department of Energy, will chair a meeting on the progress in the work by the High Level Bilateral Commission on nuclear cooperation.

For your information, the High Level Bilateral Commission held its first plenary meeting in Seoul on April 14, 2016. The upcoming meeting will serve as an opportunity to review the progress made in bilateral nuclear cooperation since the Commission meeting.

During his visit to the US, Vice Minister Ahn will also meet with members of the US Congress, the business community, think tanks and media outlets to gather information on policies of the incoming Trump administration and to exchange views on mutual benefits from the KORUS (Korea-US) FTA and other forms of bilateral economic cooperation as well as on the economic and trade conditions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Thank you.

(A question-and-answer session followed.)

* unofficial translation