1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a telephone conversation with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop of Australia on June 26. Over the phone, Minister Kang shared with her Australian counterpart the progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula since the US-North Korea summit talks held on June 12, and discussed in depth with her possible next steps.

2. Minister Kang informed her Australian counterpart of the results of the two inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit meetings. She went on to stress that diplomatic efforts would be made to move inter-Korean and US-North Korea follow-up consultations forward in a swift manner and through close coordination between the Republic of Korea and the US, and thereby to faithfully implement the measures stipulated in the Panmunjeom Declaration and the joint statement adopted by the leaders of the US and North Korea.

°In particular, Minister Kang pointed out that in order to reap tangible results from the full-fledged follow-up consultations, it would be essential for Australia and the rest of the international community to work together. On that note, she asked Australia, one of the ROK’s major partners in the Asia-Pacific region, to remain cooperative with the ROK down the road.

3. In response, Minister Bishop voiced hope that the inter-Korean and US-North Korea follow-up consultations would produce positive results, adding that Australia, on its part, would cooperate strongly in seeking progress toward a complete denuclearization and the establishment of a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

* unofficial translation