열린장관실

                                                     
                                        한미 외교장관회담(1.7) 기자회견 모두발언


  케리 장관님, 친절한 말씀에 감사합니다.

  케리 장관과의 회담은 생산적이고 즐겁기에 늘 값지게 생각합니다. 하지만, 특히 금번 회담은 여러 가지 측면에서 이전보다 더욱 시의적절하고 중요한 의미를 가졌다고 생각합니다.

  기억하시듯이, 양국 대통령께서는 지난해 5월 성공적인 정상회담을 개최하였으며, 케리 장관과 본인 역시 연중 수차례에 걸친 회담 및 전화통화를 가진 바 있습니다. 그리고 이를 통해, 양국은 양자 이슈에서부터 지역 및 범세계적 문제까지 다양한 분야에서 괄목할 만한 성과를 거둘 수 있었습니다.

  최근 한반도 및 동북아에서 발생한 상황은, 새해의 여정을 시작하는 이 시점에서 우리 두 나라가 특별한 관심을 기울여야 하며 더 긴밀히 공조해야 할 필요성을 보여주고 있습니다.

  우선, 케리 장관과 본인은 최근 북한에서 벌어진 중대한 상황변화와, 그 상황변화들이 한반도와 여타 지역에 미칠 수 있는 모든 영향을 점검하고, 한반도 안정 유지 및 북핵문제의 진전 등 북한 관련 정책공조를 제고해 나가기로 하였습니다. 이러한 노력의 일환으로, 우리 두 사람은 북한정세를 평가하고 대응방안을 모색하기 위한 협의를 보다 심도있게 강화해 나가기로 하였습니다. 한미 양국은 이를 통해 불확실한 북한 정세에 대해 공동의 입장을 가지고 대응해 나갈 수 있게 될 것입니다.
  북한의 도발시, 한･미 양국은 확고한 연합방위태세를 토대로 단호하게 대응해 나갈 것입니다. 이와 병행하여, 유엔 안보리가 필요하다고 판단하는 조치를 신속히 취할 수 있도록 해 나갈 것입니다.
 
  우리 두 사람은 북한 비핵화의 실질적 진전을 위해 중국 등 관련국들과 긴밀히 협력하는 것이 중요하다는 데 인식을 같이하였습니다.
 
  이러한 점에서, 북한 내부의 유동적인 정세로 북핵 문제의 불안정성이 더욱 높아지고 있는 현 상황에 보다 잘 대처하기 위해, 우리는 북핵 문제에 최우선순위를 두고 협의해 나가기로 하였습니다.
 
  우리는 북핵 문제를 넘어, 한반도에서 지속가능한 평화를 구축하고 궁극적으로 통일 기반을 마련하기 위한 전략적 협력을 강화해 나가기로 하였습니다. 아울러 우리는 한반도 신뢰프로세스를 통해 북한이 평화와 협력의 길로 나오도록 유도하기 위해 미국 등 국제사회와 함께 노력을 배가하기로 하였습니다.
 
  케리 장관과 본인은 최근 동북아에 불확실성이 증대되고 있다는 데 인식을 같이 하였습니다. 특히, 본인은 역사 문제가 동북아에서의 화해와 협력을 저해하는 요인이 되고 있음을 지적하였고, 진정성 있는 행동이 필요하다는 점을 강조하였습니다. 우리 두 사람은 동북아에서의 긴장을 완화하고 평화와 협력을 증진하기 위한 노력을 강화해 나가기로 하였습니다.

  미국의 아시아 재균형 정책 관련, 본인은 미국의 동 정책에 대한 재확인이 역내 안정과 번영에 긍정적으로 기여할 것이라는 점에서 환영의 뜻을 표하였습니다. 이러한 측면에서 우리는 한미 동맹이 역내 평화와 안정을 위한 핵심축(linchpin)으로서의 역할을 계속해 나갈 것임을 강조하였습니다.

  케리 장관과 본인은 한미 동맹이 최상의 상태에 있다는데 대해 인식을 같이 하였습니다. 또한 지난 한해 동안 우리가 이룩한 성과를 바탕으로, 한미 동맹의 공동 비전하에 양국 간의 협력을 업그레이드 할 수 있는 방안을 구체화해 나갈 것입니다.

  우리 두 사람은 양국간 전작권 전환 협의가 순조롭게 진행되고 있음에 만족을 표하고, 현재 진행 중인 방위비분담협상, 원자력협력협정개정 협상도 동맹정신과 상호 신뢰를 바탕으로 win-win의 호혜적 결과가 도출될 수 있도록 노력해 나가기로 하였습니다.

  우리는 한미 FTA 발효후 2년 동안 양국간 교역이 세계 경제 불황에도 불구하고 크게 확대되어 나가고 있다는 점에 주목하고, 양국 정부가 경제협력을 더욱 심화시키기 위해 계속 노력하기로 하였습니다. 또한, 우리나라의 TPP 참여가 아･태 지역 경제통합에 기여할 것이라는 점을 확인하고, 우리나라의 TPP 협상 참여를 위한 한미 양자 협의를 가속화시켜 나가기로 하였습니다.

  오늘 본인은 케리 장관과의 개인적인 우정을 재확인할 수 있게 되어 매우 기쁘게 생각합니다. 한･미 포괄적 전략 동맹의 새로운 60년을 향한 여정을 시작하면서, 우리는 협력을 계속해 나갈 것입니다.  감사합니다. /끝/


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 (SECRETARY JOHN KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for waiting a moment. I apologize for being a little bit late.

This is a homecoming of some kind for Foreign Minister Yun, who completed a degree at SAIS at John Hopkins, so we’re delighted to welcome him back to Washington to his old stomping ground. And it’s a privilege to have him here in a city that he knows very, very well, and to return the favor of his very generous welcome to me when I visited Seoul last spring.

Minister Yun is the first foreign minister that I’ve had the privilege of welcoming here to Washington and the State Department in 2014, and that is clearly from our point of view an indication of the strength of the relationship and the high regard that we hold for our relationship with the Republic of Korea.

As President Obama has said, South Korea is one of our closest allies and greatest friends. Last year, we celebrated a remarkable 60th anniversary of our alliance. And just a few hundred feet from here at the Truman Building is the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where Foreign Minister Yun laid a wreath on Sunday to pay his respects and to honor those who gave their lives from both of our countries in an effort to stand for freedom and democracy. It is a fitting reminder – the memorial and the visit of the foreign minister – of our friendship that was forged through shared sacrifice.

I believe the greatest memorial, though, to the thousands of Koreans and Americans who served and sacrificed together is the deepening solidarity, the deepening strength between our nations, through six decades of partnership and shared prosperity. Our relationship has matured from one that was focused primarily on security to one that is now defined by a very broad and comprehensive partnership. Last year, we participated together in a series of high-level summits and meetings, beginning with President Park’s visit to Washington last spring and continuing through Vice President’s successful visit – Vice President Biden’s successful visit to Seoul last month.

So with this visit we build upon that trust and we build upon the legacy that we celebrated last year, and that is the closeness of our relationship founded in shared values of democracy, human rights, rule of law, and all of which are strengthened through people-to-people ties. Our comprehensive political partnership with the Republic of Korea is a significant example of our overall commitment, the commitment of the United States, to engagement in the Asia Pacific. Indeed, our alliance is the linchpin of security and stability in Northeast Asia.

The United States and the Republic of Korea stand very firmly united, without an inch of daylight between us, not a sliver of daylight, on the subject of opposition to North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear and ballistic missile programs and proliferation activities. And the international community stands with us.

The United States supports President Park’s firm, principled approach to North Korea. I want to confirm that Foreign Minister Yun and I spent the lion’s share of our time – though we touched on a lot of topics, we were deeply focused on the challenge of North Korea, particularly with the events that have taken place in recent weeks in North Korea.

Together, we call upon Pyongyang to start down the path of fulfilling its international obligation and commitments. And most importantly, we call on the Republic – on North Korea to denuclearize. We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state nor as a nuclear-armed state, and nor will the international community abide by that.

I assured Foreign Minister Yun that we remain fully committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea, including through extended deterrents and putting the full range of U.S. military capabilities in place. We will continue to modernize our capabilities so that we are prepared to face any threat.

We are also working hard to reach agreement on burden sharing and the transfer of wartime operational control so that we can continue the great advances that we have achieved to date.

Today, the people of the United States really do take enormous pride in South Korea’s incredible rise. It’s an example of how we can move from aid to trade. Not so many years ago, the United States of America was giving aid to South Korea for development. Today, South Korea is giving aid to other countries and taking its place among the community of nations in exercising global responsibilities. It’s an example of what we can achieve when the United States does help another nation to define its future and when we create jobs and opportunity here at home, even as we do that.

Our trade relationship with the Republic of Korea is also an example of President Obama’s strategic rebalance in Asia and the benefits of the President’s determination to promote export-led growth. Because of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which will be two years old in a few months, our trade has grown to $130 billion a year. That is an enormous sum. And it is important that we continue to work together so that all of the obligations of our treaty are met.

We also welcome South Korean’s interest in the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, which can be the foundation for high-standard trade and shared prosperity throughout the Pacific, and it would create a trading agreement that would include 40 percent of global GDP. That will have a profound impact on the trading practices of the rest of the globe.

Today, the Republic of Korea is not only one of the most dynamic economies in the world; it is also a leading contributor of humanitarian assistance. That commitment was clear in the Republic of Korea’s contributions in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, where our two nations stand shoulder-to-shoulder, providing urgent relief. And we’re very proud of the efforts that we made together.

I just recently visited the Philippines. I went to Tacloban. I saw exactly, personally how unbelievably destructive that typhoon was. But most importantly, I saw the remarkable efforts of nations joined together in order to help another nation in a time of distress. And no two nations worked more closely together in that effort than we have.

Of course, the Republic of Korea and the United States have also stood side-by-side in Iraq, in Afghanistan. And there is no greater sign of the United States commitment to regional security than the 28,500 U.S. soldiers who are stationed in South Korea.

So the relationship between our two nations has always shown its ability to be able to adapt to face new challenges. And it is clear that the foundations of this relationship are built to endure. Our commitment to one another remains rock solid.

And so I want to thank Foreign Minister Yun for his friendship, for his continued efforts on behalf of both of our peoples, as together we work to make the world more secure and to deal with very complicated and difficult security challenges and humanitarian challenges across the globe. We hope that this year will mark a year of greater prosperity and opportunity and stability and peacefulness for both of our nations and for all of our neighbors. And this marks the first year in the next 60 years of our great alliance. Thank you for being here with us. Appreciate it. )

                                                                                                                                                  
FOREIGN MINISTER BYUNG-SE YUN : Mr. Secretary, thank you for your kind words.

I have always treasured meetings with Secretary Kerry – so productive and enjoyable without fail. Nevertheless, I believe that we have outdone ourselves today as our meeting has proved to be all the more timely and significant in a number of ways.

As you would recall, President Park and President Obama held a successful summit in May last year. Secretary Kerry and I also enjoyed plenty of discussions throughout the year, sometimes face to face and sometimes on the phone. As a result, our two countries have been able to make notable achievements in a wide range of areas, encompassing bilateral, regional and global issues.

As we embark on a new year’s journey, it has to be said that the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia warrant our special attention and close coordination.

First of all, Secretary Kerry and I reviewed the serious recent developments in North Korea and their potential implications on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. We agreed to enhance policy coordination to tackle North Korean issues, which include maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula and seeking progress in the resolution of North Korean nuclear problem.

In this light, we decided to intensify our consultations to assess the North Korean situation and explore our policy options. These efforts will ensure that our two countries remain very much on the same page in dealing with the uncertain North Korean situation.

In the event of any North Korean provocation, the ROK and the US will firmly respond based on our robust combined defense posture. In addition to our actions, we will ensure that the UN Security Council will take prompt measures which it deems necessary.

We shared the view that it is important to keep China and other related parties closely engaged to achieve substantial progress in the denuclearization of North Korea.

In this regard, we agreed to place this issue at the top of our agenda so that we can better cope with the increasing volatility of the nuclear issue arising from the evolving political situation in North Korea.

Going beyond nuclear issues, we agreed to strengthen our strategic cooperation on building sustainable peace that will pave the way for the unification of the Korean Peninsula. We will also redouble our efforts, together with the international community including the United States, to induce North Korea to embrace the path of peace and cooperation through the “Trust-building Process on the Korean Peninsula.”

Secretary Kerry and I also recognized the growing uncertainty pervading Northeast Asia in recent times. In particular, I pointed out that historical issues stand in the way of reconciliation and cooperation in this region, and I emphasized the need for sincere actions. The Secretary and I agreed to strengthen our efforts to alleviate tension and promote peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia.

On the US policy of rebalancing to Asia, I welcomed its reaffirmation as a positive contribution to the stability and prosperity in the region. In this regard, we underscored that ROK-US alliance will continue to serve as a linchpin of regional peace and stability.

Secretary Kerry and I shared the view that the ROK-US alliance could not be in a better shape. Building on the achievements we made over the last year, we will explore concrete ways to further upgrade our cooperation, based on the shared vision of the ROK-US alliance.

We were pleased to note that consultations regarding the review of transition of wartime operational control are on track. The Secretary and I also agreed to ensure that ongoing negotiations concerning Special Measures Agreement and Civil Nuclear Agreement result in win-win solutions, befitting the spirit of our alliance and mutual trust.

We noted that our bilateral trade has registered sharp growth since the KORUS FTA entered into force 2 years ago amid global economic downturn, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen our economic cooperation.

Furthermore, we recognized that ROK's participation in the TPP will contribute to the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific region, and agreed to expedite bilateral consultations on ROK’s participation in the TPP negotiations.

Today, I was very pleased to renew my personal friendship with Secretary Kerry. We will continue to work together as we embark on the journey into the next 60 years of ROK-US comprehensive strategic alliance. Thank you.  /END/