Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho meets
with US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Philip Goldberg
-September 22, 2023-
□ On Friday September 22, Unification Minister Kim Yung Ho met with
the US Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Philip Goldberg at the
Ministry of Unification and shared views on the state of the Korean
Peninsula and policies on North Korea.
o Minister Kim noted that the recent Republic of Korea-U.S.-Japan
Summit has further strengthened the ROK-U.S. alliance.
- The Minister expressed the commitment of the South Korean
government to enhance efforts for North Korea’s denuclearization, to
improve and share the realities of North Korean rights, and resolving
the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of the
Korean war. He requested the U.S. government’s cooperation in this endeavor.
- In particular, the Minister noted the escalating military
cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a provocation against
South Korea and stressed the need for closer cooperation between the
Republic of Korea and the U.S.
□ While expressing support for “a free and peaceful unified Korean
Peninsula,” Ambassador Goldberg shared his concerns regarding the
human rights situation in North Korea and cooperation between North
Korea and Russia.
o The ambassador stressed that all UN Security Council member
states have a responsibility to comply with the relevant resolutions
on implementing sanctions, making it clear that any arms transaction
would be a violation of these resolutions.
o Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of cooperation between
South Korea and the U.S. in denuclearizing North Korea and improving
human rights in the North.
- Goldberg also mentioned that the United States remains open to
dialogue and negotiations with North Korea, and North Korea must respond.
□ The two sides agreed to communicate and cooperate more closely
based on the outcomes of the trilateral summit between the Republic of
Korea, the United States, and Japan. //The End//
