1. Deputy Foreign Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Choi Jong-moon, together with Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller of the US Department of State, held a Republic of Korea-United States High-Level Disarmament and Proliferation Consultation at the US Department of State on September 28.

° The ROK and the US have held the consultation on a regular basis since 2013 to better understand and work more closely together on issues concerning disarmament, nonproliferation and global security.

2. At the consultation on September 28, the two sides engaged in an extensive exchange of views on possible responses to North Korea’s fifth nuclear test and ways to enforce sanctions against the North; export control; and issues concerning nuclear security as well as international disarmament and nonproliferation.

3. The two sides, calling North Korea’s fifth nuclear test a grave, unacceptable provocation, agreed to step up their coordination for a more strict and thorough implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2270, the Security Council’s toughest sanctions resolution on North Korea, and for a swift adoption of a new sanctions resolution.

4. In addition, the two sides discussed ways to work together to make a success of the IAEA International Conference on Nuclear Security, which will be chaired by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se in December 2016. They also consulted on ways to better control exports to North Korea, including enhancing the effectiveness of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a multilateral mechanism for export control chaired by the ROK in 2016 and 2017, and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

5. On the sidelines of the consultation, Deputy Minister Choi met with Coordinator for Sanctions Policy Dan Fried of the US Department of State to exchange views with him on ways to sanction and pressure North Korea.


* unofficial translation