1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se spoke by phone with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for about 70 minutes on January 8. In the phone call, they shared their assessments of the current situation in the aftermath of North Korea’s fourth nuclear test, and discussed ways to respond to the test, including adoption of a new UN Security Council resolution.

2. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se pointed out that the latest nuclear test by North Korea is a very grave situation that poses a serious threat to peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in Northeast Asia and the world. Minister Yun also stressed that the international community needs to send a clear and strong message about North Korea’s provocation which violates UN Security Council resolutions and is directly against the September 19 Joint Statement.

o In addition, Minister Yun said that the international community needs to be united more than ever to make North Korea face consequences commensurate to the nuclear test, and emphasized that the international community needs to show its determination through actions to prevent North Korea from continuing to advance its nuclear capabilities.

o Minister Yun said that it is important to stop North Korea’s upgrading of its nuclear capabilities under the firm principle of no tolerance for North Korea’s nuclear weapons, as well as to express the international community’s firm determination to impose sanctions in response to the latest nuclear test. In this regard, Minister Yun proposed that the ROK and China continue to closely work together so that a strong resolution can be swiftly adopted by the UN Security Council.

3. Minister Wang Yi said that though the North Korean nuclear issue has gone through many twists and turns, China has consistently maintained three principles – achieving denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and resolving the issue through dialogue.

o Mentioning that these three principles are linked with each other and no principle should be left out, Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed the Chinese side’s established position that it opposes North Korea’s nuclear tests. He also said that China will maintain communications with the ROK side and respond to the current complicated situation, and that it is necessary to work to get nuclear negotiations back on track.

4. The two sides agreed to pursue close consultations between the permanent missions of the two countries to the UN and at each level during the discussion process at the Security Council. A meeting between the chief negotiators of the ROK and China for the Six-Party Talks will take place soon.


*unofficial translation