1. First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam, who is on a visit to Honolulu, the US state of Hawaii, to attend a vice foreign ministerial meeting among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan, met bilaterally with Vice Foreign Minister Shinsuke Sugiyama of Japan on July 13. In the meeting, the two ranking diplomats exchanged views on matters of mutual concern, including the ROK-Japan relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

2. At the beginning of the meeting, Vice Minister Lim offered sympathy to Japan over the death of innocent Japanese in the terrorist attack in Bangladesh on July 1. Vice Minister Sugiyama expressed appreciation in response.

3. The two Vice Ministers, taking note of the close coordination between the ROK and Japan and among the ROK, the US and Japan against repeated provocations and threats from North Korea, discussed specific ways to induce the international community to continue joint efforts to enforce sanctions against and put pressure on North Korea.

4. Vice Minister Lim, highlighting the importance of advancing the ROK-Japan relations based on trust and in a virtuous circle, stressed that the bilateral agreement on the “comfort women” issue, concluded on December 28, 2015, should be thoroughly implemented. The two Vice Ministers affirmed the importance of the sincere implementation of the agreement.


* unofficial translation