1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will visit Germany from February 16 to 19 for a G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bonn on February 16 and 17 and a Munich Security Conference in the namesake city from February 17 to 19. He will then visit Romania and the UK from February 19 till 22 for a meeting with his Romanian counterpart in Bucharest on February 20 and a foreign ministerial strategic dialogue with his UK counterpart in London on February 22.

2. At the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting on February 16 and 17, Minister Yun will discuss with his counterparts ways to diplomatically address such global challenges as the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable development, sustainable peace, and cooperation with Africa, and take advantage of the opportunity to expand the Republic of Korea's leadership as a middle power country.

o In particular, in session II, the Minister will deliver remarks, in which he, as delegate from the chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), will highlight the importance of conflict prevention and peacebuilding for sustainable peace as well as the role of the G20 and ways for it to contribute in this regard.

o On the sidelines of the G20 meeting, the Minister will attend a MIKTA foreign ministerial meeting as well as bilateral meetings with his counterparts from major countries.

3. Minister Yun will then attend a Munich Security Conference, also dubbed as "the Davos Forum" on security, on February 18 and 19. At the session on the Korean Peninsula on February 18, he will deliver remarks on nuclear and other issues of North Korea, in which he will speak about why now is the last opportunity to deter North Korea from nuclear armament; and present the ROK's strategies and roadmap regarding additional efforts that are necessary for doing so.

o Munich Security Conference 2017 carries special significance in that, for the first time ever in the 53-year history of the Conference, it will consist of a session exclusively on security on the Korean Peninsula. The fact that the Conference, which used to mainly cover security issues concerning the EU, NATO, the US and the Atlantic region, will deal with Korean Peninsula issues demonstrates that the international community increasingly considers the North Korean nuclear program a security threat to the entire internatioinal community.

4. Minister Yun will then visit Romania and the UK for a meeting with his Romanian counterpart on February 20 and the third foreign ministerial strategic dialogue with his UK counterpart on February 22. In the bilateral meetings, the two sides will seek ways to coordinate more closely with each other in pressuring North Korea and discuss ways to work together on bilateral and global issues as well as situations in diverse regions of the world.

o The first visit to Romania by an ROK Foreign Minister in 15 years is expected to help promote the ROK's friendship and cooperation with Romania, the ROK's only strategic partner in Southeast Europe.

o The third foreign ministerial strategic dialogue with the UK, which will come at a time when the UK is seeking to enhance relations with the ROK and other non-European countries as part of efforts to cope with Brexit, is expected to serve as an opportunity to discuss in depth ways for the two countries to step up strategic cooperation.

5. The G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting and the Munich Security Conference as well as the visits to Romania and the UK are expected to serve as an opportunity for the ROK to intensify momentum of cooperation with foreign countries through economic and security diplomacy in the face of uncertainties at home and abroad.


* unofficial translation