1. On January 29, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se spoke by phone with US Secretary of State John Kerry, and shared the results of Secretary Kerry’s visit to China from January 26 to 27 and their assessments of the visit. The two sides also discussed the strategies of the ROK and the US regarding responses to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and the possibility of further North Korean provocations.

2. Secretary Kerry explained that during his visit to China, he told Chinese officials that North Korea’s fourth nuclear test is the biggest threat to global peace and security, especially to the US mainland and its allies, and that the US administration is giving top priority to the issue. Secretary Kerry also said that he emphasized to Chinese officials the firm position of the US that it will make every effort to protect the security of its allies.

o Secretary Kerry added that the US and China agreed to accelerate consultations between the two countries through their permanent missions to the UN and other channels in order to ensure the adoption of a strong UN Security Council resolution.

o Minister Yun and Secretary Kerry agreed to devise necessary measures to deal with the possibility of further North Korean provocations, including a long-range missile launch.

3. Minister Yun and Secretary Kerry also agreed to work to make more tangible progress in the ROK-US cooperation, in addition to the US-China cooperation to ensure the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution. Regarding this, the ROK and the US agreed to make intense efforts to ensure the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution, and also exert active efforts towards various bilateral and international sanctions. The two sides agreed to continue consultations on comprehensive strategies to make sure that such efforts become mutually reinforcing.

o The two sides also agreed to continue close cooperation through various forms of consultations, including five-party talks within the framework of the Six-Party Talks, building upon the ROK-US collaboration.

4. Minister Yun and Secretary Kerry have spoken by phone three times since North Korea’s nuclear test on January 6. They agreed to continue close cooperation through another meeting on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, to be held from February 12 to 14.


* unofficial translation