1. On April 3, Second Vice Foreign Minister Ahn Chong-ghee attended the World Journalists Conference 2017 in Seoul, where he delivered to 83 foreign journalists from 53 countries a lecture on “situations on the Korean Peninsula and its surrounding region as well as the foreign policy of the Republic of Korea.”

2. In the lecture, the Vice Minister spoke about the current situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as the ROK government’s position and policy direction regarding challenges in the field of foreign affairs, including the growing nuclear threat from North Korea; the necessity for the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system; and trade protectionism.

° With regard to North Korea’s nuclear threat, the Vice Minister called it graver than ever before with North Korea persistently pursuing its Byungjin policy -- a parallel development of the economy and nuclear weapons -- and threatening to launch ICBMs. He explained that in the face of this situation, the ROK government, in cooperation with the international community in implementing UN Security Council resolutions and in enforcing unilateral sanctions imposed on the North by such like-minded countries as the US, Japan and the EU, is seeking to induce the North to engage in genuine denuclearization talks. He stressed that with North Korea nearing the final stage of nuclear weapons development, it is of paramount importance for the international community to render support.

° With respect to the THAAD issue, the Vice Minister brought attention to the necessity of the THAAD system for national defense and the safety of the people of the ROK, stating that economic retaliatory measures by China “will turn out to be self-defeating” and “have the unintended effect of alienating the Korean people” from China. Calling such retaliatory measures highly irrational, he called for an end to them.

° Speaking of trade protectionism, Vice Minister Ahn emphasized that despite the growing tide of trade protection of late in some parts of the international community, free trade “will eventually reclaim its place in the global economy.” He added that the ROK, which has achieved economic prosperity through free and open trade, will seek to expand its network of bilateral FTAs and “will continue to work with other like-minded partners at various multilateral fora such as the G20, APEC and ASEM, to help stem the tide of protectionism.”

3. The World Journalists Conference has been hosted by the Journalists Association of Korea (JAK) on an annual basis since 2013. High-level officials of the ROK Foreign Ministry attend this annual event to inform the participating opinion leaders of foreign countries of the ROK government’s foreign policy as well as its position and policy direction on main issues regarding foreign affairs and security.


* unofficial translation