1. On the afternoon of December 11, Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Kim Gunn met with U.S. Deputy Special Representative for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Jung Pak, who is on a visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK), and shared their assessments of the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and exchanged views on ways to address issues on North Korea.

2. The two sides committed to leading a united response of the international community in response to any provocations by North Korea, including its additional “satellite” launches, through close ROK-U.S. bilateral cooperation and the U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation based on strong deterrence capabilities. They also pointed out that North Korea's military buildup will only destroy its people’s livelihoods and economy and will not at all help create a safe environment and promote development in North Korea, adding that North Korea should respond positively to the offers of dialogue and diplomacy from the ROK and the U.S.

3. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to stepping up efforts to block major revenue sources for North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, including illicit cyber activities, the dispatch of overseas workers, and ship-to-ship transfers, and to deterring military cooperation with North Korea prohibited by the UN Security Council resolutions. To this end, the two sides agreed to lead the international community in a more rigorous implementation of the Security Council sanctions against North Korea, while strengthening the coordination among the like-minded countries on autonomous sanctions. In this regard, they stated that the recent series of announcements of the first-ever quadrilateral  autonomous sanctions against North Korea by the ROK, the U.S., Japan, and Australia on Dec 1 would contribute to enhancing the international cooperation in disrupting and exerting more pressure on North Korea's illicit revenue streams.

4. Additionally, the two sides  noted that close cooperation between the ROK and the U.S. in promoting North Korean human rights has revitalized discussions on North Korean human rights in the international community, and agreed to continue efforts to further strengthen solidarity with the international community for substantial improvements in North Korean human rights, leveraging the regularization of the ROK-U.S. Consultations on North Korean Human Rights Issues, held recently on Nov. 15, and the activities of both countries as members of the UN Security Council next year.

5. Deputy Special Representative Pak noted strong, ongoing bilateral and trilateral cooperation on issues related to North Korea, and emphasized that both sides will maintain close and seamless coordination throughout the transition period of the U.S. Special Representative for the DPRK.