1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, who is on a visit to New York to attend the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, met bilaterally with his UK counterpart Philip Hammond on September 29 at the request of the UK side. In their meeting, the two top diplomats had an in-depth discussion on pending issues between the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom; assessments on the North Korean nuclear issue and the situation on the Korean Peninsula; and key global issues, including cyber security, health security, peacekeeping operations, climate change and the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

2. In their meeting, Minister Yun and Secretary Hammond noted with appreciation the plan to hold the first ROK-UK meeting of directors-general for consular affairs in London in late October and the plan that will enable the ROK delegation to take the opportunity to observe a training session at a Crisis Management Centre in the UK, as agreed at the second ROK-UK minister-level strategic dialogue held in Seoul on August 10. Both plans are aimed at strengthening the bilateral cooperation on crisis management in consular affairs. They also noted with appreciation the plan to hold a bilateral consultation on Africa policy in Seoul in mid October to share with each other their respective diplomatic strategies toward Africa, including those concerning peacekeeping operations and the fight against the Ebola virus.

◦ Minister Yun extended appreciation to the UK for the enhanced bilateral cooperative system for managing consular crises and the UK’s decision on September 15 to include the ROK in its Registered Travellers Service (RTS) system. He also expressed satisfaction with the increasingly deepening cooperation between the two countries on consular affairs.

3. Minister Yun explained in detail the recent developments in inter-Korean relations, including the conclusion of an inter-Korean agreement at a high-level meeting between the ROK and North Korea on August 25 in the wake of North Korea’s provocation using wooden-box landmines at the inter-Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) and artillery provocation in August, and the inter-Korean agreement to hold in late October reunions of families separated during the Korean War as a follow-up measure to the August 25 agreement. In this regard, Minister Yun voiced concern over the possibility of North Korea’s additional strategic provocation around the anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Workers’ Party in October, and underscored the need for the international community to make active and united efforts to deter such provocations.

◦ Secretary Hammond, sharing the concern over the possibility of North Korea’s additional provocations, mentioned that the UK will work closely with the ROK in that regard.

4. Minister Yun explained the ROK government’s position and efforts to contribute with regard to global issues, including the UN’s peacekeeping operations, cyber security, health security and climate change.

◦ Secretary Hammond, highlighting the urgent need for efforts to resolve challenges facing the international community, noted with appreciation the ROK’s decision to dispatch additional military engineers for the UN’s peacekeeping operations and additional contributions for the establishment of a level-2 hospital and the capacity building of developing countries in their fight against infectious diseases. The two sides agreed to work more closely together in those areas in the future.

5. The ROK-UK foreign minsters’ meeting, the third of its kind since Secretary Hammond took up his current post in July 2014, came at the request of the UK government only about two months after the second ROK-UK minister-level strategic dialogue was held in Seoul in August. The ROK-UK foreign minsters’ meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, served as an opportunity to further consolidate the bilateral strategic partnership.


* unofficial translation