1. The 19th Republic of Korea-China meeting of directors-general for consular affairs took place at the Foreign Ministry, Seoul, on November 22, co-chaired by Director-General for Overseas Koreans and Consular Affairs Lee Jae-wan of the ROK Foreign Ministry and Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs Guo Shaochun of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

※ The ROK-China meeting of directors-general for consular affairs is held in the two countries on an annual and rotational basis. Its 18th round took place in Beijing, China, on June 15, 2016.

2. In the meeting, the two sides drew a common understanding that under the current circumstances where the annual number of Koreans and Chinese engaging in exchanges has stood at over 10 million since 2014 and considering their international standings, the two countries should gradually improve their visa systems for each other.

° The two sides agreed to continue director-level consultations to seek ways to streamline the visa processing system and to reduce requirements for multiple-entry visas.

3. The ROK side, taking note of the recently improved fisheries order in the Yellow Sea, asked the Chinese government to provide guidance against and beef up crackdown on illegal fishing operations in a bid to maintain the improved order.

° The Chinese side mentioned that with a high priority placed on fisheries issues between the ROK and China, the latter country’s central and provincial governments are taking substantive measures, providing guidance to fishermen and making numerous other efforts. The Chinese delegation asked the ROK government to better supervise and prevent the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) from enforcing law to an excessive extent during crackdowns on Chinese fishing vessels.

° The ROK side pointed out the KCG’s use of crew-served weapon is an inevitable means to protect their lives and bodies in the course of law enforcement, which constitutes a proportional measure under relevant law of the ROK and the international community as well as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The ROK delegation went on to underscore the need for the Chinese government to take substantive measures aimed to block illegal fishing operations and thereby to prevent accidents the Chinese government is concerned about.

° On that note, the two sides reaffirmed the need to resume as soon as possible the stalled “ROK-China meeting on fisheries cooperation” to seek ways to establish a mutually beneficial fisheries order.

4. The ROK side asked the Chinese government to pay attention to and cooperate in ensuring the safety of the Korean nationals residing in or visiting the border region between China and North Korea. The Chinese side responded that the Chinese government puts a high priority on the safety as well as legal rights and interests of the foreign nationals in China; and that, with regard to the Koreans reported missing in China, the Chinese government will continually pay attention to and move investigations forward.

5. The two sides agreed to hold the 20th bilateral meeting of directors-general for consular affairs in China at an appropriate time in 2018.


* unofficial translation