1.   During his participation in the 59th Session of the UN General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade, Ban Ki-moon, met with UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on September 24, to discuss various 
issues of common interest including the North Korean nuclear issue, the reform (of) the UN Security Council, 
and the reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

2.   Minister Ban explained the current status of inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation, and expressed 
gratitude to Secretary-General Annan for his interest in and support for the maintenance of peace on the 
Korean Peninsula and the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

     - In response, Secretary-General Annan stressed that the concerned parties should put forth an active 
effort to resume the Six-Party Talks at the earliest date possible, and expressed the UN's willingness to 
provide necessary assistance.

3.   Minister Ban expressed his hope for an accelerated normalization of the political situation in Iraq with 
active support of the UN and the international community, and displayed his expectation that the prompt 
restoration of peace and stability in Iraq would enable the UN to carry out its normal aid activities.  In 
particular, Minister Ban explained the active participation of the ROK government in the reconstruction and 
restoration efforts in Iraq, citing the ROK government's dispatch of 3,600 troops and the provision of $260 
million. He assured Secretary-General Annan that the ROK will continue to exert efforts to ensure a speedy 
stabilization and recovery of the country.

4.   Regarding the ROK's nuclear-material experiments, Minister Ban explained that these were isolated, 
laboratory-scale scientific experiments conducted on the initiative of a small number of scientists. He issued 
assurances that the ROK government is providing all necessary assistance to the IAEA in its investigations, 
and that the ROK has no intention whatsoever to put in place a nuclear development program. Minister Ban 
reiterated the ROK government's commitment to faithfully abide by the obligations of the international non-
proliferation regime.

     - In response, Secretary-General Annan noted the ROK's transparent demeanor in the process of 
resolving this issue, and expressed his gratitude for the ROK's detailed explanations.

5.   Furthermore, Minister Ban expressed his hope for the strengthening of the UN to cope effectively with the 
new challenges to the international community. He expressed confidence in the UN's pivotal role not only in 
the maintenance of world peace and security but also in achieving global prosperity as well as in 
implementing the universal values of mankind. In particular, he explained the ROK's position concerning the 
efforts to reform the Security Council.

6.   Minister Ban invited Secretary General Annan to participate in the 6th Global Forum on Reinventing 
Government, which will be held from May 24 to 27, 2005, and co-hosted by the ROK government and the UN.

     - In response to Minister Ban's invitation to visit the ROK, Secretary-General Annan said he would consider 
a visit to the ROK upon reviewing his schedule for the coming year.

                                                             Spokesperson of MOFAT

* unofficial translation