Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Norway
– March 2018
Dear Reader,
In News from Korea this month, we present the following articles:
Foreign Minister Attends Luncheon Meeting of EU Foreign Council
Outcome of Meeting between Foreign Minister and NATO Secretary-General on Sidelines of EU’s Informal Foreign Council Meeting
PyeongChang Paralympics Brings Peace and Prosperity
South Korean Pyongyang Concerts
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Foreign Minister Attends Luncheon Meeting of EU Foreign Council
1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha attended a luncheon meeting of the EU Foreign Council on March 19 at the invitation of the EU, and had candid discussions with foreign ministers of EU members on the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula, and ways to respond to it.
※ At the luncheon, held without the presence of other officials, the foreign ministers engaged in an informal and free exchange of views.
2. Minister Kang explained in detail the recent situation on the Korean Peninsula and the progress made in inter-Korean relations to the EU foreign ministers participating in the EU Foreign Council meeting, and asked for the EU’s continued support and
cooperation on the ROK government’s efforts to solve the North Korean nuclear problem peacefully and to establish a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
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※ Minister Kang provided a briefing on the current situation on the Korean Peninsula for about ten minutes at the beginning of the luncheon meeting.
o The EU foreign ministers extended congratulations on the success of the
PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and spoke highly of the efforts of the ROK government, which played a leading role in easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula and reaching the agreement to hold inter-Korean and US-North Korea summits by taking advantage of the momentum for dialogues created during the Olympics.
o Minister Kang and the EU foreign ministers shared the view that an inter-Korean summit in late April and a US-North Korea summit expected to take place by May will become an important turning point in efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully. They also agreed to continue to strengthen strategic communications and cooperation between the ROK and the EU.
3. Minister Kang’s participation in the EU Foreign Council meeting, which marked the first time for an ROK Foreign Minister, and discussions with the EU foreign ministers served as an opportunity to enhance European countries’ understanding of the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula, and to reaffirm the EU’s keen interest and support for the ROK government’s efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully and establish an enduring peace on the Korean Peninsula.
*unofficial translation
For original briefing, see Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Outcome of Meeting between Foreign Minister and NATO Secretary- General on Sidelines of EU’s Informal Foreign Council Meeting
1. During her visit to Belgium for the meeting of the EU’s Informal Foreign Council on March 19, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha met bilaterally with NATO Secretary-
General Jens Stoltenberg on March 19, during which the two sides exchanged views on the Republic of Korea-NATO relations and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
2. Minister Kang shared with the Secretary-General the recent progress in the inter- Korean relations; informed him of the ROK government’s efforts to use the momentum of inter-Korean dialogue built around the PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to create a new milestone toward peace on the Korean Peninsula; and asked NATO to remain supportive of such endeavors by the ROK government.
° Secretary-General Stoltenberg hailed the recent progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula; commended President Moon Jae-in and the ROK government for their efforts in the lead-up to the decision to hold inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit talks; and mentioned NATO’s plan to render strong cooperation toward the success of those summit talks.
° The Secretary-General reaffirmed NATO’s position that the international community should continue enforcing sanctions and putting pressure on North Korea in a bid to induce the North to take tangible steps toward denuclearization.
3. In addition, the two sides agreed to work more closely together on counter-terrorism and cyber security based on the bilateral “Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme (IPCP),” which had been revised during Secretary-General Stoltenberg’s visit to the ROK in November 2017.
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※ The IPCP is a document in which the framework of bilateral cooperation between NATO and its partner country is stipulated. The ROK-NATO IPCP was concluded in September 2012 and revised in November 2017.
* unofficial translation
For original briefing, see Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PyeongChang Paralympics Brings Peace and Prosperity
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Following the Olympics, The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games finished its wonderful 10-day journey with a Closing Ceremony on the night of March 18 at the PyeongChang Olympic Plaza. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons expressed his gratitude in Korean to the athletes, family members and relatives, Paralympic Games staff, to the volunteers and to the Korean people.
According to the PyeongChang Paralympic Organizing Committee, it has sold more than 320,000 individual tickets, exceeding its initial sales target of 220,000. The ticket sales have set a new Paralympic record. This exceeds the 210,000 tickets sold at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics, as well as the 200,000 or so tickets sold at the Sochi 2014 Paralympics. Ticket sales at the PyeongChang Paralympics are even higher than the total tickets both sold and unsold at the Sochi Paralympics, which were around 316,000.
The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games were also finished safely and securely without any major incidents. The Gangwon-do Provincial Police Agency reported that during the Paralympics, there was not a single act of violent crime in Pyeongchang, Gangneung or Jeongsun, except for some minor accidents. It has been characterized as “Safe Paralympics,” the Gangwon-do provincial government has announced that this has been the results of it having arranged an average of 3,300 police officers to maintain public order, traffic flow, and athlete protection, every day.
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South Korean Pyongyang Concerts
South Korean composer Yoon Snag, who will lead a delegation of performers in
Pyongyang, holds working-level talks with Hyun Song-wol, director of the North Korean Samjiyon Orchestra, at the Panmunjom Tongilgak Pavilion on March 20. The delegation is comprised of about 190 performers, taekwondo practitioners, staff, journalists and other supporter. After this meeting, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) has unveiled the schedule for the Pyongyang shows on March 27. The South Korean performers will have an exclusive two-hour concert at 5 p.m. on April 1 at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre, with a 1,500-seat capacity. The troupe will then collaborate with North Korean performers for two hours on April 3 at the Ryugyong Chung Ju-yung Gymnasium, with 12,309 seats. The troupe includes a total of 10 singers and one group, including Cho Yong-pil, Lee Sun-hee, Choi Jin-hee, Yoon Do-hyun, Baek Ji- young, Jung In, Seo-hyeon, Ali, Kang San-ae and Kim Kwang-min, and the pop group Red Velvet.
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The MCST said “The official title for the Pyongyang shows that run from March 31 to April 3 is ‘South Korean Art Troupe’s Pyongyang Performances in Hopes for Peaceful Cooperation between Two Koreas,’ and the theme is, ‘Spring comes,’ The theme of 'spring' comes from the fact that -- literally -- spring has come now, and, also, so, too, has our hope that spring will come in terms of the inter-Korean relationship.”
For original article, see Korea.net
