Press Briefing
Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations Cho Tai-young
Nov. 14, 2013 14:30 KST


Good afternoon. Let me start today’s briefing.

Today, I have four announcements to make.

First, China’s State Councilor Yang Jiechi will make an official visit to the Republic of Korea from November 17 through 19 at the invitation of the ROK government.

During his visit, State Councilor Yang will pay a courtesy call on President Park Geun-hye, hold a meeting with Director of National Security Kim Jang-soo and have a luncheon with Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se. He is also planning an industrial tour and a visit to provincial areas.

The State Councilor’s visit carries particular significance as part of the follow-up measures stipulated in the ROK-China Joint Statement for Future Vision adopted by Presidents Park Geun-hye and Xi Jinping during the former’s state visit to China in June.

As such, it is expected to serve as an opportunity to further enhance communication between the high-level diplomatic channels of the two countries.

Moving on to the second announcement, a ROK-China Joint Committee on Humanities Exchanges will be launched and hold its inaugural meeting at the former’s Foreign Ministry on November 19. The event will be attended by officials of relevant ministries and other agencies of the two countries, led by First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kyou-hyun and his Chinese counterpart Liu Zhenmin, respectively.

The launch of the Joint Committee comes as part of efforts to boost humanities exchanges in accordance with the ROK-China Joint Statement for Future Vision announced by the two countries during the President’s state visit to China in June.

The Joint Committee is expected to serve as a basis for various projects to be conducted by the two countries to deepen mutual understanding and solidarity between their peoples.

Thirdly, the ROK government will hold the sending ceremony of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT) at 7:00 p.m., today, November 14 (KST), to the Philippines to support the country’s efforts to recover from Typhoon Haiyan.

The team will be dispatched on a ROK military aircraft at 4:00 a.m., tomorrow, November 15, to the Philippines.

This KRDT is composed of 44 people, counting in the five in the advance group.

The medical staff in the team to be dispatched tomorrow will be assigned to hospitals in the typhoon-affected areas to provide medical service. Meanwhile, the rest of the team will carry out quarantine and rescue operations.

For your information, the ROK government already sent at 6:00 a.m., today, November 14, relief supplies to the Philippines on a military aircraft.

The first batch of relief and medical supplies, including medical equipment, worth 800,000 US dollars will be delivered to the country on a military transport aircraft on November 14-15.

Lastly, the Foreign Ministry, together with the Seoul Policy Center of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), will host the 1st International Conference on the Busan Partnership in Seoul on November 18 and 19.

As a result of the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness (HLF-4) held in Busan in 2011, the Busan Partnership was launched as a mechanism for comprehensive international consultation to improve the effectiveness of development cooperation.

Its 1st ministerial meeting will take place in Mexico in April 2014.

The forthcoming International Conference will take place as a preparatory meeting for the ministerial meeting.

The Conference will bring together 80-odd officials from 30 relevant developing countries and international organizations, including the UNDP and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). They participants will focus on the progress in the implementation of measures agreed upon at the HLF-4.

The ROK Foreign Ministry plans to hold this Conference on an annual basis and use it as a basis for the implementation of the aforementioned measures.

The Foreign Ministry, by building upon its experience of successfully hosting the HLF-4, will continue exercising intellectual leadership in the field of development cooperation.

This is all for my opening statement.


[Q&A]

Q: I understand that the heads of the ROK and Chinese delegations to the Six-Party Talks held a meeting yesterday. Please share with us the outcome of the meeting.

A: I wish I could give you details about it right now. The ROK delegation has wrapped up its visit to China and is on its way back home. So, please understand that it is hard for me to give you relevant details right now.

Q: During his upcoming visit to the ROK, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi will probably hold a number of dialogues with Kim Jang-soo, Director of National Security, to discuss security issues, among others. Please share with us the agenda items to be discussed between the two.

A: As I have just said, during the President’s state visit to China, the two countries agreed to establish such dialogue mechanisms. This dialogue mechanism is a platform for comprehensive discussions on security-related issues.

Under the circumstances, instead of specifying its agenda items, let me just say that it will cover a wide range of matters of interest.

Q: I have a related question. Please tell us the name of the meeting to be held between State Councilor Yang and Director of National Security Kim as well as its date.

A: I told you that it is “dialogue.” Although I told you it is dialogue on security issues, let me check its exact, official name. As just said, it is set for Monday. I understand that the dialogue will take place Monday afternoon.

Q: You said that the State Councilor has been invited by the ROK government, right? You mentioned that the ROK government has invited State Councilor Yang. Please share with us the background behind the invitation. You also mentioned that it is part of efforts to materialize the ROK-China future vision announced during the President’s state visit to China. Is this the first such case? Will different officials be invited as well? I would like to know what its exact form will be. Will it be merely a high-level dialogue?

A: As I understand it, the ROK-China Joint Statement for Future Vision announced during the President’s state visit to China calls for establishing a dialogue mechanism between the ROK’s Director of National Security and China’s State Councilor. The ROK government has extended the invitation as the meeting will take place in Seoul. When it is held in China, the country will invite the ROK official.

This dialogue is not one-time thing but will continue. Please understand that the dialogue is between the two officials at the aforementioned posts.

Q: Are you saying that the ROK and the Chinese delegates to the dialogue will be the Director of National Security and the State Councilor, respectively?

A: Yes.

Q: Yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Abe voiced his hope for a ROK-Japan summit to the ROK Ambassador to Japan. What, if any, is the ROK government’s position on that? What other information, if any, has Ambassador Lee Byung-kee relayed to the ROK government?

A: Are you asking whether the Japanese side expressed its hope for a ROK-Japan summit during the ROK Ambassador’s courtesy call on the Japanese Prime Minister?

Q: Yes.

A: I understand that the Ambassador made courtesy call to offer greetings as a new Ambassador to the country, which is a usual thing to do. To my knowledge, after the courtesy call, the ROK Embassy in Japan mentioned to local Korean correspondents that the two sides discussed ROK-Japan relations on the occasion. I cannot share with you any further details.

Q: I have a question related to the content of a press report on that. Are you saying that the ROK Foreign Ministry headquarters cannot confirm whether the Japanese Prime Minister has indeed expressed his hope for a ROK-Japan summit?

A: I did not mean that the Foreign Ministry cannot verify the report. I meant that we cannot give you the details of the courtesy call.

Q: Then, do you think the conditions for holding the ROK-Japan summit have been created?

A: I am not sure how much it would help to tell you my personal opinion, but I can say this. The ROK government hopes that the circumstances where constructive consultations between the ROK and Japanese leaders are possible will be created as soon as possible.

Q: In her congratulatory remarks at a global academic conference this morning, President Park Geun-hye reportedly said that for the ROK, China and Japan, it would be good to publish a joint Northeast Asia history textbook. I’d like to know if the ROK will make an official offer to Japan and China through diplomatic channels.

A: On that, I need to check.

Q: Concerning the ROK-Japan summit, you just said that the ROK government hopes that the circumstances for constructive consultations will be created. What do you think the Japanese government should do to create such circumstances?

A: Exactly speaking, I said that the ROK government hopes that the circumstances where constructive consultations are possible will be created as soon as possible. On your question of how the circumstances for constructive consultations can be created, let me say this. I think Japan already knows how that can happen.

Q: To my knowledge, strategic dialogue between the ROK and Chinese Vice Ministers takes place on a regular basis. Some news reports said today that it is scheduled to be held again next month. Please verify the reports.

A: I have not heard anything on that. I will check later. Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi will visit the ROK to meet with Director of National Security Kim Jang-soo and the Chinese delegation will also include Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin.

On that occasion, the first dialogue on humanities exchanges will be held. In case of the strategic dialogue between the ROK and China, the ROK head delegate is First Vice Minister Kim Kyou-hyun and the Chinese head delegate is the Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, not the Vice Foreign Minister. I will check if the dialogue is scheduled to be held.

Q: You said that the launching ceremony of an emergency relief team to be dispatched to the Philippines will be held later today. Where will it take place?

A: It will be held at Seoul Air Base. We are now receiving applications from those who want to attend it.

Q: The Pressian, online news media, reported this morning that North Korean leader Kim Jong-eun will travel to China by airplane next month. How credible is it? What do you think of the possibility?

A: I'm afraid I haven't seen the repot yet. As far as I know, the report has not been verified yet. I will check later again. It is difficult to say anything about its possibility.

Q: The Prime Minister said today that in addition to five million US dollars the ROK already promised to give to the Philippines, the ROK needs to provide more in grants. Please tell us if the ROK is planning to donate additional rescue fund or relief supplies.

A: As the Prime Minister ordered, the Foreign Ministry and other related government agencies will work together to do so. However, I have not heard that concrete plans have been already devised. I think following consultations, detailed plans on additional assistance will be drawn up.

I will conclude today’s briefing. Thank you.

*unofficial translation