1. On the morning of January 19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, jointly with the Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, presented to President Park Geun-hye its 2015 policy briefing on “trustpolitik with the global community to usher in the unification era.”

[Relevant achievements made in 2014]

2. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se noted that the government of the Republic of Korea, by putting forward a clear vision for the unification of the Korean Peninsula, greatly raised the international awareness on the matter last year. He added that the ROK also won broader support for the vision from the international community, as demonstrated by the stipulation of support for the ROK’s unification policy in all of the ten summit outcome documents adopted in 2014 following the Dresden declaration.

◦ In addition, through the visits to the ROK by Presidents Barack Obama and Xi Jinping as well as the ROK-US Foreign and Defense Ministers’ (2+2) Meeting, the ROK-US and ROK-China relations were taken to the best level. Also, the first inter-governmental meeting on the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative and the implementation of the Rajin-Khasan pilot project helped build momentum for fulfilling the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative and the Eurasia Initiative.

[Environment for unification diplomacy and its goals for 2015]

3. Building upon the aforementioned achievements made in 2014, Foreign Minister Yun set out the following three goals for the year 2015 that marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation from Japan’s colonial rule and the division of the Korean Peninsula -- (a) leading changes in the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding region; (b) building “trust” infrastructure for a peaceful unification of the Peninsula; and (c) strengthening the global network for unification. He added that the Foreign Ministry, through nine main tasks to be undertaken to attain the goals, will actively carry out trustpolitik with the global community to usher in the unification era.

◦ In particular, the Minister emphasized the need to effectively apply the full range of lessons and implications from the German unification process amid multi-layered challenges expected to arise in 2015, as well as the need to take a creative approach to accomplish the historic mission of the times, which is to overcome the division of the Korean Peninsula.

- Goal No. 1: Leading changes in the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding region

4. Foreign Minister Yun put forward the following four tasks to attain the first goal, “leading changes in the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in its surrounding region”:

- step up strategic collaboration to make progress on North Korea and its nuclear issues;
- boost mini-lateral cooperation;
- accelerate efforts to implement the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative and the Eurasia Initiative; and
- improve the situation on the Korean Peninsula through active diplomacy with the UN

◦ The ROK government will seek to: advance its best-ever bilateral relations with the US and China in a harmonious way in order for the ties with both countries to contribute to creating an environment conducive for unification; renew its relations with Japan on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations; and advance its relations with Russia in a stable manner.

◦ With regard to North Korea and its nuclear issue, the ROK will deter nuclear tests and other provocations by North Korea to the maximum extent through preemptive preventive diplomacy; induce North Korea to make the right choice by putting multi-layered pressure on North Korea and persuading it to do so; lead efforts based on the Korean Formula to put into full gear and in a meaningful way the Six-Party Talks process aimed at the complete denuclearization of North Korea; and seek a virtuous cycle  between the progress in the denuclearization of North Korea and improvements in inter-Korean relations.

◦ The ROK government will put to more active work its mini-lateral cooperative mechanisms, including trilateral ones with the US and Japan, with the US and China, and with China and Japan. In particular, it will make efforts to put back to work its trilateral cooperative mechanism with China and Japan, including by holding a trilateral Foreign Ministers’ meeting with the countries.

◦ The ROK government will strengthen the mechanism of the Top Regulators Meeting+ (TRM+) on Nuclear Safety launched in 2014 with a view to paving the way for the launch of the proposed Northeast Asian consultative mechanism on nuclear safety and boosting projects in various sectors and functions for the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative.

◦ The ROK government will accelerate efforts to implement its Eurasia Initiative aimed to enhance its connectivity with Eurasia. Such efforts will include not only conducting the Rajin-Khasan logistics project but also building in July an “Eurasian Friendship Express,” which begins in Seoul and runs through China, Mongolia, Russia and even Europe, as well as holding a symposium on multi-modal logistics and transportation networks. The ROK will also induce North Korea to participate in such efforts.

◦ In addition, the ROK government will work with the UN, which marks its 70th anniversary, as close partners to create a favorable environment for the unification of the Korean Peninsula by boosting high-level exchanges, including the visit to the ROK by the President of the UN General Assembly to be arranged for the first half of 2015; jointly responding to North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues; and jointly seeking to promote human rights in North Korea by hosting and helping operate the UN field-based structure on the issue.

- Goal No. 2: Building “trust” infrastructure for a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula

5. As ways to attain the second goal, “building 'trust' infrastructure for a peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula,” Foreign Minister Yun put forward the following three tasks:

- promote international cooperation in a bid to reduce the pain caused by the division of the Korean Peninsula;
- implement unification-oriented humanitarian diplomacy; and
- step up economic diplomacy in a way that contributes to unification

◦ In order to offer humanitarian assistance to North Korea, the ROK government will build international collaborative networks with the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and others. It will also work more closely with relevant international organizations and countries in resolving issues concerning families separated during the Korean War and in protecting and safely transporting North Korean defectors/refugees to other countries or regions.

◦ With regard to creating the proposed DMZ World Eco-Peace Park, the ROK government will hold a seminar with countries that have similar parks, such as Germany, Finland, Russia, Ecuador and Peru, to learn about their experience.

◦ The ROK government will implement in earnest humanitarian diplomacy by participating actively in international relief operations, including offering aid to refugees in the Middle East and Africa; hosting the second meeting on the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), the international collaborative system for healthcare security, in Seoul; and carrying out other creative and preemptive diplomacy on healthcare. All such diplomatic efforts are expected to help build international capability necessary for the unification process.

◦ The ROK government will build infrastructure for economic cooperation for unification. To that end, it will seek to make the Gaeseong Industrial Complex an international zone by imposing FTA preferential tariffs on Gaeseong-made goods, thereby helping induce North Korea to open its economy; accelerate negotiations on the proposed ROK-China-Japan FTA; and positively consider joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

- Goal No. 3: Strengthening the global network for unification

6. Lastly, according to Minister Yun, the Foreign Ministry will undertake the following two tasks in order to attain its third and last goal for the year, “strengthening the global network for unification”:

- expand its diplomatic network for unification; and
- increase public diplomacy for unification

◦ The ROK government will enhance strategic cooperation with its major friends to prepare for a unified Korea. To that end, it will put to more active work the Peninsula Club and the Peace Club both launched in 2014; work more closely with the Korean-German Advisory Group on the Foreign Policy towards Reunification; and seek ROK-Visegrad Group summit talks.

◦ The ROK government will upgrade cooperation with middle-power countries, such as by hosting Foreign Ministers’ meeting of MIKTA chaired by the ROK, thereby expanding its network for unification in a multi-layered manner.

◦ The ROK government will raise awareness on the following benefits from the unification.
- In terms of security, the unification will lead to the denuclearization of North Korea and reduce instability in Northeast Asia.
- In terms of economy, it will create new growth engines in the Asia-Pacific and Eurasian regions.
- In terms of values, it will help spread such universal values as democracy and human rights.

◦ The ROK government will carry out public diplomacy for unification in a way that befits situations of different regions and countries; seek ways to use Korean networks around the world; and attend the Davos Forum and the Munich Security Conference to help more people in the international community better understand potential benefits from unification.

[Discussion on tasks to be undertaken at home and abroad to expedite the peaceful unification]

7. On the heels of the briefings to the President by the three Ministries, participating officials engaged in discussions on two topics. The Foreign Ministry led the discussion on the second topic, “tasks to be undertaken at home and abroad to expedite the peaceful unification.” Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Hwang Joon-kook delivered a relevant presentation and moderated the discussion. The second discussion session also featured a presentation on “the North Korean nuclear issue and diplomacy among four neighboring countries” by Vice President Choi Kang of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and another on “ways to improve the livelihoods of North Korean people” by Director In Yo-han of Severance Hospital International Health Care Center. Each presentation was followed by a discussion.

8. The Foreign Ministry, based on its policy priorities briefed to the President, will thoroughly implement its tasks planned for the year 2015. It also will make utmost diplomatic efforts, including laying the groundwork for unification in the international community, in order to contribute substantially to moving relevant preparations forward. 

               Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation