1. The Foreign Ministry’s Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs Ahn Chong-ghee will attend the inaugural Arctic Circle assembly to take place in Reykjavík, Iceland, from October 12 through 14.

° The Arctic Circle is a forum introduced by President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson of Iceland in April 2013 to facilitate dialogue among stakeholders from various sectors, including the government, academia, businesses and media outlets, on issues facing the Arctic. Some 900 people will attend its inaugural assembly.

2. At the meeting, Deputy Minister Ahn will deliver a presentation titled “The Republic of Korea in the Arctic,” which will cover the ROK’s policy on the Arctic and its vision.

° In the presentation, the Deputy Minister will bring attention to the ROK’s continued participation in Arctic activities by setting up the Dasan Arctic Research Station and operating the icebreaker Araon; and establishment of its comprehensive Arctic policies after its accession to the Arctic Council in May 2013 as a permanent observer in order to implement Arctic policies in a systematic manner. In addition, he will relay the ROK’s willingness to work more closely with the international community to contribute to the sustainable development of the Arctic region in line with the ROK government’s vision to usher in an “era of global happiness” and conduct “trust-building diplomacy.”

3. Unlike the Arctic Council where its observer countries have a limited right to speak, the Arctic Circle seeks to be an open forum where countries can freely exchange their views. As such, the upcoming Arctic Circle meeting is expected to serve as a good opportunity to inform the other participating countries of the ROK’s Arctic policies and vision and build a cooperative network with them.

                    Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation