1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se held a telephone conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry at 00:55, January 7, Korea Standard Time, to share the assessments of the current situation regarding what North Korea claims to be a hydrogen bomb (H-bomb) test, and to discuss ways to respond to it.

2. Minister Yun highlighted that it is important for the international community to send a clear message to North Korea by making North Korea pay a high price for having carried out provocation again in defiance of warnings from the international community. To this end, he proposed seeking a strong, swift UN Security Council resolution and stepping up coordination for various diplomatic responses at bilateral and multilateral levels.

3. Secretary Kerry stressed that the North Korean test on January 6, regardless of whether it involved an H-bomb or not, was an unacceptable act in clear violation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions. He added that the US, building on its firm coordination with the Republic of Korea, will make stern responses in close cooperation with the international community, including the UN.

4. The Minister and the Secretary shared the view that North Korea’s latest test is a threat to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula and in the world, as well as an unacceptable act of challenge toward the international community. They reaffirmed their position that the ROK and the US will respond sternly to any provocations from North Korea based on their robust combined defense posture.

5. The Minister and the Secretary agreed to accelerate various discussions on the North Korean nuclear issue including sanctions in response to the latest North Korean provocation, taking note of the ROK-US summit in October 2015, where the two leaders agreed to address the North Korean nuclear issue with utmost urgency and determination.

6. The Minister and the Secretary agreed to work closely together in the UN Security Council discussions on possible responses, including at the Council’s urgent consultation on the morning of January 6, US time. They also agreed to communicate closely with the other permanent members of the UN Security Council, including China and Russia.


* unofficial translation