| June
4. | - The ROK government holds
the 321st session of the Inter-Korean Exchange and
Cooperation Promotion Council.
･ ① Funding from the
Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund to establish more video
reunion centers② Change in the interest rate on the
outstanding loan from the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund③
Change in the terms of repayment of the loan of the Korea
Tourism Organization to the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund
for the Mount Geumgang tourism project |
| June 4. | - North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un presides over the first meeting of
the Political Bureau of the 8th Central Committee of the
Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).
･ Made decision to
convene the third plenary meeting of the 8th Central
Committee of the WPK in early June; carried out an interim
review on the progress in the implementation of major
policies in 2021; and discussed agenda items and approved
the proposed agenda. |
| June
6. | - ROK President Moon Jae-in
gives his speech on the 66th Memorial Day.
･“President
Biden and I decided to surmount COVID-19 together through a
strong ‘vaccine alliance’ and agreed that dialogue and
diplomacy are the only ways to achieve denuclearization and
permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
･“We will
prepare to take another great step toward denuclearization
and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
|
| June 9. |
- The foreign ministers of South Korea and China speak on
the phone.
･Discussed issues of mutual interest
including South Korea-China relations; the matters of the
Korean Peninsula; and regional and international situations.
･The foreign ministers reaffirmed the common goals of
realizing denuclearization and establishing permanent peace
on the Korean Peninsula and discussed ways to coordinate
efforts between the two countries. |
| June 11. | - North Korean
leader Kim Jong Un presides over the second enlarged meeting
of the 8th Central Military Commission of the WPK.
･“Set forth important tasks….as required by the
fast-changing situation around the Korean Peninsula and the
internal and external environment of our revolution and
discussed the organizational issue.”
･“Emphasized the
need to resolutely carry out the policies to develop the
armed forces and called for a high-alert posture against the
fast-changing situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
|
| June 12. |
- Archbishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik, the new prefect of the
Congregation for the Clergy of the Holy See, holds a press
conference.
･“If North Korea invited the Pope during
these times, when the country seems to be facing severe
economic difficulties precipitated by international
isolation, it would be a golden opportunity for the country
to overcome its hardships.”
･“A report came out that
when Vatican appointed me, it might have had in mind the
matters of North Korea and China.” “The Pope has said he
wants to go to North Korea.”
･“I believe that
realizing reconciliation and peace between the two Koreas is
an important path we should take to go forward. Thus, I can
clearly say that if I was given a role, I would actively
participate in everything and do my best.” |
| June 12. | - ROK
Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong and U.S. Secretary of State
Blinken hold a
meeting.
･“Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Republic of
Korea Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong in Cornwall on June
12. Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister
Chung reaffirmed that the U.S.-ROK alliance is the linchpin
of peace, security, and prosperity in Northeast Asia, the
Indo-Pacific region, and beyond.”
･“The Secretary and
the Foreign Minister also reaffirmed the commitment to close
cooperation between and among the United States, the
Republic of Korea, and Japan on a broad range of issues,
including the denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula.” |
| June 13. |
- World leaders release the 2021 G7
Leaders’ communiqué.
･“We call for the complete
denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the verifiable
and irreversible abandonment of the Democratic People’s
Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) unlawful weapons of mass
destruction and ballistic missile programmes in accordance
with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions.”
･“We call on all states to fully implement these resolutions
and their associated sanctions.”
･“We welcome the
readiness of the United States to continue its diplomatic
efforts in coordination with all relevant partners and call
on the DPRK to engage and resume dialogue.”
･“We once
again call on the DPRK to respect human rights for all and
to resolve the issue of abductions immediately.”
|
| June 13. |
- President Moon Jae-in has talks with British Prime
Minister Boris Johnson.
･President Moon said,
“President Biden agreed with a phased approach based on
diplomacy and dialogue that builds on existing agreements
such as the 2018 Panmunjeom Declaration and Singapore Joint
Statement. As he has also clearly indicated his strong
intention to resume talks with North Korea by appointing a
U.S. Special Representative for North Korea Policy, we look
forward to a positive response from North Korea.”
･Prime Minister Johnson replied that he supports the peace
process on the Korean Peninsula. |
| June 14. | - President Moon
Jae-in has a summit meeting with Austrian President
Alexander Van der Bellen.
･“If South Korea can become
a global hub for the manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, North
Korea will surely be one of our cooperative partners.” “The
U.S. is also showing its backing for humanitarian
cooperation on North Korea.” “If the North agrees, we will
actively provide vaccines to North Korea.” |
| June 15. | - Korea
marks the 21st anniversary of June 15 South-North Joint
Declaration.
|
| June 15-18. |
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
presides over the third plenary meeting of the 8th Central
Committee of the WPK.
< June 15 (first day of the meeting) >
･“Saying that, in particular, the people’s food situation is
now becoming severe as the agricultural sector failed to
fulfill its grain production plan due to last year’s typhoon
damage, he stressed that the plenary meeting should take a
positive measure for settling the problem.”
･“Set as
major agenda items were review of the execution of major
state policies for the first half of the year and taking
measures, the direction of all efforts to farming this year,
thoroughly coping with the protracted emergency
anti-epidemic situation, the analysis of the current
international situation and our Party’s corresponding
direction, the stabilization and improvement of the people’s
living standard, and the improvement and strengthening of
the Party’s childcare policy and the organizational issue.”
･“The respected General Secretary said that it is
essential for the whole Party and state to take the lesson
of last year’s farming and concentrate on farming in this
year’s unfavorable conditions.”
･“The respected
General Secretary clearly delineated the urgent tasks that
have to be carried out by the state at all costs now that
the world health crisis is becoming worse and worse due to
the malignant virus.”
･“Saying that the prolonged
emergency anti-epidemic situation means the prolonged
maximum awareness and prolonged observation of the strong
discipline in the state emergency anti-epidemic work and
also the prolonged struggle for keeping afloat the overall
economy and for providing food, clothing, and housing for
the people, he set forth the tasks for the state to maintain
a perfect anti-epidemic state under the present condition
and for the economic guidance organs to meticulously
organize the economic work to cope with the unfavorable
conditions of the emergency anti-epidemic work.”
･“Specifically emphasizing that all the Party organizations
and power organs should direct primary efforts to the work
of fully and timely meeting what is needed by the people in
their living, he took revolutionary measures for increasing
production in the fields directly concerned with the
people’s living including the light industry and the fishery
industry.”
< June 16 (second day of the meeting) >
･“In the second-day sitting, sector panels were organized
and study and consultative meetings were held for in-depth
study and discussion to successfully push ahead with the
fighting tasks for the second half of the year without any
deviation.”
･“Separate study and consultative
meetings were held by panels for discussion of metals,
railway transport, chemicals, electric power, coal,
machines, construction and building materials, light
industry, agriculture, emergency anti-epidemic efforts, the
struggle against anti-socialist and non-socialist practices,
and Party work.”
･“The participants studied the draft
resolution to be suggested to the plenary meeting and
confirmed the draft measures and planned figures of which
scientific accuracy and practicality are guaranteed.”
< June 17 (third day of the meeting) >
･“The respected General Secretary reviewed and assessed
major changes taking place recently in the international
political arena and the external environment of our
revolution. In particular, he analyzed the policy tendency
of the new U.S. administration toward our Republic in detail
and clarified the appropriate strategic and tactical
counteraction and direction of activities to be maintained
in relations with the U.S. in the days ahead.”
･“The
General Secretary stressed the need to prepare for both
dialogue and confrontation, especially to more fully prepare
for confrontation in order to protect the dignity of our
state and its interests for independent development and to
reliably guarantee the peaceful environment and the security
of our state.”
･“Clarifying the foreign policy stand
and principles of the WPK and the DPRK government concerning
the important international and regional issues and
stressing the need to further enhance the strategic position
and active role of our state and create a favorable external
climate on our own initiatives, the General Secretary called
for sharply and promptly reacting to and coping with the
rapidly changing situation and concentrating efforts on
taking control of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.”
･“He delivered a special order that he personally
signed with his sincerity to make even a small contribution
to stabilizing the people’s living.”
< June 18 (fourth and closing day of the meeting)
>
･“The 3rd plenary meeting of the 8th Central
Committee of the WPK held under the guidance of the
respected General Secretary will be etched in the history of
the Juche-oriented revolution as a historic meeting at which
important decisions for the prosperity of the country and
the people’s wellbeing were made even in the face of the
most severe adversity and as a significant one through which
the ever-victorious leadership of the WPK resolutely opening
up an era of fresh dynamic advance by strenuous efforts
despite manifold difficulties in the way ahead was fully
demonstrated.” |
| June 16. |
- June 16 marks one year since
North Korea demolished the inter-Korean joint liaison office
in Gaeseong.
|
| June 17. |
- President Moon Jae-in has a
meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
･“The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to complete
denuclearization and establishment of permanent peace on the
Korean Peninsula through diplomacy and dialogue. The leaders
called on the international community including North Korea
to thoroughly implement UN Security Council resolutions.
They also emphasized the importance of dialogue, engagement,
and cooperation between the two Koreas.” |
| June 19-23. | - Sung
Kim, the new U.S. Special Representative for North Korea,
visits South Korea.
･June 21: Foreign Minister Chung
Eui-yong met with the US delegation led by the US Special
Representative for North Korea; and Noh Kyu-duk, South
Korea’s special representative for Korean Peninsula peace
and security affairs, had consultations with the top nuclear
envoys of the United States and Japan.
･June 22: Sung
Kim paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Unification and
had a high-level bilateral consultation on North Korea
policy with Vice Minister of Unification Choi Young Joon;
and Mr. Kim paid a courtesy visit to President Moon Jae-in
and visited Director of National Security Suh Hoon.
･June 23: The Ministry of Unification’s Director General for
Unification Policy held talks with Deputy Special
Representative Dr. Jung Park; and the Foreign Ministry’s
Director-General for North Korean Nuclear Affairs Lee
Moon-hee had a dinner with Dr. Jung Park.
<
Consultation between the top nuclear envoys of the ROK, the
U.S. and Japan (June 21) >
･At the first
face-to-face meeting since the appointment of U.S. Special
Representative Kim, the ROK, U.S., and Japanese chief
negotiators for the North Korean nuclear issue took note of
the close coordination of the three countries throughout the
U.S.’s DPRK policy review process after the inauguration of
the Biden administration and agreed to continue cooperation
for the quick resumption of dialogue with the DPRK to make
substantial progress in complete denuclearization and
establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula
(press release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
< Meeting with the Minister of Unification (June
22) >
Opening remarks by the Minister of
Unification
･“I heard that you had said at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday, ‘We will meet with
the North anywhere, anytime, without preconditions.’ Since I
have always emphasized that we remain willing to talk with
North Korea anytime, anywhere, and in any way they want,
regardless of agenda, I totally agree with you.”
･“I
also especially agree with you in that you support
inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation while focusing on
peaceful resolution through diplomacy and in that you take
note of ‘dialogue’ in the messages from the latest plenary
meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of
Korea (WPK) of the DPRK.”
･“As you are aware, we
believe that now is a very critical moment at which we can
shift into a mode of dialogue. Now is the time when our two
countries need to move in an active and agile manner through
close consultation in order to resume dialogue with the
North as soon as possible.”
･“I believe that the ROK
and the U.S. can closely work together for such tasks as
cooperation in improving the people’s livelihood including
response to COVID-19 and food shortages, reunions of
separated families and visits to Mount Geumgang, and
cooperation in tackling climate change, on which the ROK
government has plans.
Opening remarks by U.S. Special
Representative Sung Kim
･“I agree that this is an
important moment for both the ROK and the U.S. to shift into
a mode of dialogue, and I hope that the DPRK will respond
positively to our proposal for dialogue.”
･“As
President Biden said in the ROK-US summit, we support
meaningful inter-Korean dialogue, cooperation, and
engagement, and I look forward to staying in very close
touch with you and your colleagues about some of the ideas
that you have going forward.”
<
Consultation with the Vice Minister of Unification (June 22)
> (press release by the Ministry of Unification)
･Vice Minister Choi Young Joon analyzed the situation of
North Korea and the Korean Peninsula and emphasized that the
two sides should take a creative and flexible approach
toward persuading North Korea to return to dialogue as soon
as possible and advancing denuclearization talks based on
close coordination between Seoul and Washington.
- He
also expounded on the ROK government’s plans for
inter-Korean relations, including humanitarian cooperation
for responding to COVID-19 and improving the livelihood of
the people, resuming reunions of separated families, and
response to climate change.
･Special Representative
Sung Kim stressed that both the ROK and the U.S. should
jointly pursue complete denuclearization of the Korean
Peninsula through diplomacy and dialogue.
- He
reaffirmed U.S. support for meaningful inter-Korean
dialogue, cooperation and engagement as the two leaders
agreed in the ROK-U.S. summit in May, and expressed hope
that the North will respond positively to dialogue while
taking note of Kim Jong Un’s latest mention of preparation
for dialogue.
< Meeting with President Moon
Jae-in (June 22) > (written briefing by the Blue House)
･Moon said, “The Biden administration’s approach of
gradually working toward complete denuclearization of the
Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy is
appropriate,” and asked the U.S. to resume dialogue with
North Korea in close coordination with South Korea and to
continue to work hard to make progress in negotiations. He
especially emphasized the need to work together to create a
virtuous cycle in which improvement in inter-Korean
relations leads to development in relations between the
United States and North Korea.
･Sung Kim reaffirmed a
message that was also stressed by U.S. President Joe Biden
to President Moon Jae-in in their summit in Washington last
month, saying, “We support meaningful inter-Korean dialogue,
cooperation, and engagement,” and said that he will do his
“utmost to resume dialogue between North Korea and the
United States.”
･President Moon also reaffirmed his
“commitment to playing every possible role during the
remainder of his tenure to help put inter-Korean relations
and Pyeongyang-Washington relations on a certain track” and
expressed hope that “improvement in North Korea-U.S.
relations will lead to denuclearization and establishment of
peace on the Korean Peninsula.” |
| June 21. | - Chinese
Ambassador to North Korea Li Jinjun contributes an op-ed on
the occasion of the second anniversary of President Xi
Jinping’s visit to Pyeongyang, and the International Liaison
Department of the Chinese Communist Party hosts the joint
meeting with North Korea to celebrate the anniversary.
|
| June 22. | - Kim Yo Jong, the vice department
director of the Central Committee of the WPK, releases a
statement.
･“I heard that U.S. National Security
adviser Jake Sullivan had said* that he saw as an
‘interesting signal’ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s
comments that he is ready for ‘dialogue and confrontation.’”
･“A Korean proverb says: ‘In a dream, what counts
most is to read it, not to have it.’ It seems that the U.S.
may interpret the situation in such a way as to seek comfort
for itself. The expectation, which they chose to harbour the
wrong way, would plunge them into a greater disappointment.”
* Speaking in an interview with ABC News, U.S.
National Security adviser Jake Sullivan said, “His comments
this week we regard as an interesting signal, and we will
wait to see whether they are followed up with any kind of
more direct communication to us about a potential path
forward.” |
| June 23. |
- Foreign Minister Ri Son Gwon of the
DPRK releases a press statement.
･The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the DPRK welcomes the clear-cut press
statement issued by the vice department director of the
Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea, which is
to brush off hasty judgment, conjecture, and expectations of
the U.S.
･We are not considering even the possibility
of any contact with the U.S., let alone having it, which
would get us nowhere, only taking up precious time.
|
| June 24. | - South Korea wraps up the war remains
excavation work on Arrowhead Hill, a battlefield near the
border with North Korea (April 1, 2019-June 24, 2021) after
recovering a total of 3,092 bone fragments believed to have
belonged to 424 troops killed in action.
|
| June 29. | - North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un chairs the second enlarged meeting
of the Political Bureau of the 8th Central Committee of the
WPK.
･“He pointed out that senior officials in charge
of important state affairs have neglected to implement the
major Party decisions on taking organizational, material,
scientific, and technological measures as demanded by the
protracted state emergency anti-epidemic campaign to cope
with the worldwide health crisis and thus caused a great
crisis in the security of the state and people, and it has
brought about a serious after-effect.”
･“He seriously
pointed out the mistakes of those officials who hindered the
realization of the strategic plan of the Party regarding the
state emergency anti-epidemic work on which the safety of
the people and the country depends and had a negative effect
on the stabilization of the people’s living and the overall
economic construction.”
･The meeting also dealt with
the organizational issue: Presidium members and members and
alternate members of the Political Bureau of the Party
Central Committee were recalled and by-elected; the
secretary of the Party Central Committee was recalled and
elected; and cadres of state organs were transferred and
appointed. |
