1. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, who is on a visit to Japan to attend the second vice foreign ministerial meeting among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida on January 15. He was accompanied by US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Akitaka Saiki.

* The group courtesy call was arranged by the Japanese government, the chair of the second trilateral vice foreign ministerial meeting, in hope for a success of the trilateral meeting on January 16 and to offer encouragement to the head delegates of the three countries to the meeting.

2. Foreign Minister Kishida, after extending welcome to the ROK and US delegations visiting Japan for the trilateral vice foreign ministerial meeting, mentioned that Japan strongly denounces the fourth nuclear test recently conducted North Korea as a grave threat to peace and security in Northeast Asia. He voiced hope that at their meeting on January 16, the ROK, the US and Japan will seek ways to coordinate among themselves and thereby lead united responses of the international community.

3. Vice Minister Lim noted with appreciation close ROK-Japan consultations at diverse levels, including in the telephone conversation between their leaders on January 7 and between their Foreign Ministers on January 6, on ways to respond to North Korea’s nuclear provocation. The Vice Minister explained that the ROK government sees a need for measures that are stern and differentiated from those of the past. In that regard, he asked Japan, a (non-permanent) member state of the UN Security Council, to play an active role based on close coordination with the ROK throughout the process leading up to the adoption of a relevant Security Council resolution.

◦ The Vice Minister, bringing attention to the great potential for cooperation among the ROK, the US and Japan in addressing such global issues as development cooperation and health security, expressed expectation for continued close consultations, including at the trilateral second vice foreign ministerial meeting on January 16.

4. Vice Minister Lim will attend the vice foreign ministerial meeting among the ROK, the US and Japan as well as between the ROK and the US and between the ROK and Japan. In the meetings, the ranking diplomats will discuss future plans, including the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution and the implementation of bilateral measures, and other matters of mutual concern. Vice Minister Lim will return home on January 17.


* unofficial translation