1. During his visit to the US for a meeting of the Ministers of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se met with Chairman Ed Royce of the House Foreign Affairs Committee of the US on March 22. In the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on matters of mutual concern, including the North Korean nuclear issue; the Republic of Korea-United States alliance; and the new North Korea sanctions bill put forward by the US House of Representatives.

2. Minister Yun extended appreciation to Chairman Royce for playing a leading role as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in efforts to resolve nuclear and other issues of North Korea as well as to beef up the ROK-US alliance, including the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to US Forces Korea (USFK). He asked the Chairman to continue exercising leadership in that regard.

° Chairman Royce, pointing out that continuous advances in the bilateral alliance demonstrate its enduring nature, reaffirmed the strong support of the US Congress toward the alliance.

3. Minister Yun took note of the fact that Chairman Royce had led the introduction of the bipartisan legislation, the “Korea Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act,” which calls for unprecedentedly tough measures, at a time when nuclear and missile provocations by North Korea are posing a direct and urgent threat to both the ROK and the US. He added that the legislation would contribute greatly to the international efforts to sanction and put pressure on North Korea.

° Minister Yun pointed out that the bill, which is in line with the joint approach the ROK and the US had agreed to take at their bilateral foreign ministerial meeting on March 17, holds great implications, as it calls for taking a variety of effective sanctions and actively leading participation of relevant countries.

° Chairman Royce, bringing attention to the growing bipartisan consensus in the US Congress over the essential need for unprecedentedly tough, comprehensive countermeasures against the North Korean nuclear threat, noted that unless the international community comes together to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue now, it will end up facing more, greater consequences. He went on to say that the US Congress will place a priority and render assistance in that regard.

4. With respect to the bill calling for re-designating North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, which had been introduced by the House of Representatives on January 12 and a similar one put forward by the Senate of late, Minister Yun asked about how the US Congress is likely to move forward with the legislation. Chairman Royce responded that the new North Korea sanctions bill introduced on March 21 also calls for the US government to determine whether the North should be re-listed as a state sponsor of terrorism in response to various acts committed by the North in violation of international norms. He added that the House Foreign Affairs Committee will accelerate the legislative process for the new North Korea sanctions bill.

5. Minister Yun spoke about the ROK government’s position regarding the THAAD deployment to the USFK and recent retaliatory measures by China over it. Chairman Royce, mentioning his awareness of the ROK people’s view of such
Chinese measures as undeserved, expressed support for an early THAAD deployment.

6. The meeting between the Minister and the Chairman came as part of the series of frequent and accelerated high-level policy coordination efforts between the ROK government and the US administration, which includes foreign ministerial meetings. It is seen to have served as an opportunity to win a stronger support from the US Congress with regard to nuclear and other issues of North Korea and efforts to develop the ROK-US alliance.


* unofficial translation