Securing Peace and Stability on the Korean Peninsula

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2 2 Securing Peace and Stability on the Korean Peninsula Chapter 1 Maintaining Stability on 30 Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue 37 Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 49 Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries 60

3 Chapter 1 Maintaining Stability on the Korean Peninsula With the policy objective of maintaining stability on, the Korean Government has closely cooperated with neighboring countries to deter North Korea s provocations and to induce its sincere change in attitude. Under the basic principle of settling inter-korean issues through dialogue, the Government has opened a window of opportunity to North Korea and has continued assistance in the private sector and exchanges with North Korea. However, North Korea has continued to blame the Government and maintained a hostile attitude toward the Government, so that the conditions for the progress of inter-korean relations were not created. 1. Inter-Korean relations 1) Policy of Mutual Benefits and Common Prosperity (MBCP) The Government has consistently carried out inter-korean policy based on mutual 30

4 benefits and common prosperity to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. While placing top priority on the denuclearization of North Korea, the Government has worked towards developing pragmatic and productive inter-korean relations, emphasizing earnest inter-korean dialogue and reciprocal cooperation along the way. The Government declared that it would respond to North Korea s armed provocations in a determined manner and that North Korea should take responsible measures for the sinking of the naval ship Cheonan and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. Meanwhile, the Government has tried to achieve progress in inter-korean relations by adopting a flexible approach and suggesting inter-korean dialogue on humanitarian issues regarding separated families and abductees. And in order to enhance the international community s understanding of inter-korean relations and to ensure support for its inter-korean policy, the Government has held summit meetings with the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia. The Government has also participated in various bilateral and multilateral talks to explain and garner more support for its inter-korean policy. 2) Support for International Community s Humanitarian Assistance and Cooperation Projects toward North Korea In light of universal humanitarianism and the spirit of brotherhood, the Government has continuously participated in various international organizations aid projects Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 1 Maintaining Stability on directed towards North Korea and provided appropriate assistance. Since the mid- 1990s, the Government has participated in projects organized by WHO and UNICEF that aim to improve the health and nutritional conditions of mothers and children in North Korea and to provide adequate drinking water, environmental protection and education. In 2012, through the International Vaccine Institute(IVI) the Government contributed 2.1 million USD dollars to projects such as providing vaccines for North Korean children and strengthening vaccine delivery system in North Korea. From the humanitarian perspective, the Government will continue to provide support for the 31

5 international community s aid projects directed towards North Korea. 3) Humanitarian Cooperation In accordance with its principle of universal humanitarianism and the spirit of brotherhood, the Government has been providing humanitarian assistance to North Korea regardless of the political situation. The Government is adhering to the principle that, at the request of North Korea, it would consider providing assistance to substantially help the North Korean people. Accordingly, the Government approved approximately 11.8 billion KRW worth of civilian aid to North Korea in The Government also planned emergency relief worth roughly 10 billion KRW to help those affected by the flood in North Korea, but the aid could not be delivered as North Korea declined to accept it. Humanitarian Aid to North Korea (2012) Division Amount of Money Remarks (Unit : Billion KRW) Government Sector 2.3 Aid Through International Organizations Private Sector 11.8 Total 14.1 The ROK Government has also maintained consistent position on the issue of separated families from a humanitarian perspective. It has continuously worked for the unconditional reunion of separated families, regardless of the political situation. Although the reunion of separated families has been suspended since November 2010 in the wake of the Yeonpyeong shelling, the Government has maintained the position that it is an important humanitarian issue that must be solved fundamentally as soon as possible. And on February 14, 2012, the Government proposed workinglevel contacts of the South-North Red Cross for discussions related to pursuing the reunion of separated families, but the plan failed because North Korea did not respond. And even at the Government s second proposal on August 8, North Korea rejected 32

6 the offer by relating it to issues such as the resumption of the Mt. Geumgang tour. Furthermore, the Government is working towards finding a prompt resolution for the issue concerning Korean war prisoners and abductees. 4) North Korean Human Rights The Government views human rights as a universal value that must be dealt with separately from other issues. Thus we are deeply concerned with the human rights situation in North Korea and continue to cooperate with the international community to address the situation. The Government has co-sponsored resolutions on the human rights situation in North Korea at the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council since Such endeavors helped heighten the international community s awareness and enhance its understanding of the North Korean human rights situation as the North Korean Human Rights Resolution was adopted by consensus for the first time at the UN Human Rights Council (March 23, 2012) and the UN General Assembly (December 20, 2012). And the Government continues to participate in the international community s efforts towards substantively improving the human rights situation in North Korea in cooperation with countries with high interest in human rights such as the U.S. and EU member states. 5) North Korean Refugees and Asylum Seekers The Government is dealing with issues concerning North Korean refugees and asylum seekers from a humanitarian perspective and in the spirit of brotherhood. It is the principle of the Government to provide protection and assistance to all North Korean refugees who wish to settle in the ROK. For the safe and swift transfer of North Korean refugees, the Government maintains close cooperation with international organizations and countries in which many North Korean refugees reside. In particular, in order to prevent the repatriation of North Korean refugees and asylum seekers, the Government urged the international community to abide by the principle of nonrefoulement at several occasions including the 63rd UNHCR Executive Committee Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 1 Maintaining Stability on 33

7 meeting (Oct. 1, 2012) and the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly (Nov. 12, 2012). It also co-sponsored the UN General Assembly resolution (Dec. 20, 2012) on the North Korean human rights situation which urges the international community to forbid the repatriation of North Korean refugees and asylum seekers. As of 2012, the total number of North Korean refugees that entered the ROK stands at 24,598. In 2012, however, 1,509 North Korean Refugees, only 56% of those of the previous year, entered the ROK. The great decrease seems to have resulted from North Korea s strengthened control over the North Korean-Chinese border. Number of North Korean refugees entering the ROK per year (Unit: Persons) Year Total No. of North Korean refugees 941 1,046 1,141 1,282 1,898 1,382 2,026 2,551 2,801 2,914 2,401 2,706 1,509 24,598 Furthermore, the Government is making efforts to improve welfare services committed to ensuring the mental and physical well-being of North Korean refugees during the waiting period in their transferral to the ROK. They are also provided with books and educational programs which aim to help them adapt to new life in the ROK. In addition, the Government provides assistance to transferred refugees in the ROK including resettlement funds, housing services, and education on social adaptation and vocational training to help them adapt to society in a swift and stable manner. 2. Efforts to Maintain Stability through International Cooperation As North Korea launched a long-range missile on April 13, 2012, the international community as well as the Government condemned the launch by making a series of statements. However, North Korea strongly resisted the warnings of the international 34

8 community. On April 23, North Korea threatened to commit armed attacks against the ROK and South Korean media outlets by the special operation action group of the Supreme Command of the Korean People s Army. North Korea repeated its threat on June 4, even mentioning the coordinates of South Korean media outlets in the open ultimatum of the General Staff of the Korean People s Army. Besides making verbal attacks, North Korea indeed put the safety of aircrafts and ships in and out of South Korea into possible danger by jamming GPS signals for 16 days from April 28 to May 13. The Government consulted with countries of the affected aircrafts and the ICAO, and requested them to deliver the message for North Korea to stop GPS jamming and prevent the recurrence of such actions. The Government has constantly made efforts to deter provocations by North Korea and to maintain stability on under close cooperation with the international community. Through various bilateral and multilateral talks with the countries concerned, the Government has tried to enhance their understanding of the ROK inter-korean Policy and make them implement North Korean-policies in close coordination with the Government. 3. Efforts to Promote Multilateral Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 1 Maintaining Stability on The Working Group of the Northeast Asia Peace and Security Mechanism(NEAPSM), which was founded in accordance with the February 13 Agreement at the Six-Party Talks in 2007, has held three rounds of meetings between 2007 and 2009 and has discussed the Guiding principles of peace and security in Northeast Asia. But due to the suspension of the Six-Party Talks, no further meetings have been held since the last meeting in Moscow in February Track 1.5 and 2 dialogues on multilateral security in the Northeast Asia are also under way, and the Government is also participating in those dialogues. In March 2012, 35

9 the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific(CSCAP) was held in Sydney, Australia, discussing the development plan for a WMD non-proliferation regime in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the denuclearization of. In September 2012, the 23rd Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue(NEACD) was held in Dalian, China, in which Government representatives and academics from the ROK, North Korea, the U.S., China, Japan and Russia participated. In the dialogue, participants freely and actively exchanged their opinions on various issues including such topics as enhancing strategic trust between the U.S. and China, the impact of nationalism on bilateral cooperation, and efforts toward development and peace on the Korean Peninsula. 36

10 Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue 1. The Third U.S.-DPRK Talks and its Outcome (the Leap Day deal/agreement ) Since the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on December 17, 2011, the ROK Government watched intently for possible changes in North Korea s domestic and foreign policies. It was a matter of great interest for the international community whether North Korea would change its course so that the denuclearization process of North Korea, which has yet to achieve meaningful breakthroughs despite ceaseless efforts for the last 20 years, could enter a new phase. The two rounds of inter-korean and U.S.-DPRK talks on denuclearization held in 2011 were temporarily suspended after the death of Kim Jong-il. In the third U.S.-DPRK talks, held on February 23-24, 2012 in Beijing, North Korea agreed to implement the so-called pre-steps, which both the ROK and the U.S. had been consistently calling for. On February 29, the U.S. and North Korea simultaneously announced the results of the bilateral dialogue. Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue 37

11 The Leap Day deal included commitments of both sides, the U.S. and North Korea, in order to resume the negotiation process on denuclearization in full swing. North Korea agreed on a moratorium on nuclear-related activities including longrange missile launches and nuclear tests, a freeze on uranium enrichment program (UEP) at nuclear facilities in Yongbyon, and the return of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to monitor activities at Yongbyon. The U.S., on its part, reaffirmed that it has no hostile intentions towards North Korea and agreed to provide 240,000 metric tons of nutritional assistance and to increase people-to-people exchanges. It was anticipated that if North Korea proved its seriousness towards denuclearization by implementing the Leap Day deal, the Six-Party Talks, which had been stalled since December 2008, would resume and progress would be made on the denuclearization process of North Korea. 2. North Korea s long-range Missile Launch in April and the ROK Government s Diplomatic Response On March 16, approximately two weeks after the announcement of the February agreement, the North Korean Committee for Space Technology announced its plans to launch a so-called working satellite, adding that the carrier rocket Unha-3 on which the Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite was mounted would be launched southward from the Sohae Satellite Launching Station in Cholsan County, North Pyongan Province, between April 12 and 16. The launch, if conducted, would constitute a provocative action, flagrantly violating the UN Security Council Resolution 1874 which prohibits any launch using ballistic missile technology. Consequently, the ROK Government convened an emergency Foreign and Security Policy Coordination Meeting and discussed Government-wide measures that needed to be taken. At the Second Nuclear Security Summit held in Seoul on March 26 and 27, President 38

12 Lee Myung-bak made great efforts to bring about a unified voice from the international community, calling on North Korea to withdraw its planned launch. At the joint press conference held after the Korea-U.S. summit meeting, President Lee and President Barack Obama condemned and urged North Korea to withdraw from the launch. President Lee also met with his Chinese counterpart, President Hu Jintao, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev separately, and shared concerns over North Korea s provocations. Disregarding the joint efforts of the Government and the international community to dissuade North Korea from carrying out the plan, North Korea pressed ahead with the launch on April 13. The rocket exploded within a few minutes after the launch. North Korea unprecedentedly admitted the failure through the state-run Korea Central News Agency. The Government immediately held an emergency ministerial meeting on foreign affairs and national security, chaired by President Lee. The statement issued by the Government after the meeting strongly condemned North Korea s provocative action. The statement particularly called on North Korea to attend to the urgent welfare issue of the North Korean people, instead of spending resources on developing nuclear and missile capabilities. In addition, Foreign Minister as well as top negotiators for the Six- Party Talks held phone consultations with their counterparts of relevant countries, sharing information and discussing future responsive measures. In his radio address on April 16, President Lee said North Korea s missile launch has further isolated the country from the international community and put it in a more difficult situation. The only way out for North Korea is to give up nuclear weapons and to cooperate with the international community through reform and opening up. Because North Korea blatantly breached the UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874 with its missile launch, the Council immediately began to discuss countermeasures. Regarding this matter, the Government reached out to related countries and the rest of the world in order to bring about timely and effective Security Council measures. On April 16, only three days after the missile launch, the Security Council unanimously adopted a presidential statement that deplored the grave security Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue 39

13 concerns caused by the launch. In the statement, the Council directed the Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1718 to designate additional entities and items on the sanction list. The statement also included the so-called trigger clause, which mandates the Security Council to take action accordingly in the event of further launch of missiles or nuclear tests. Key elements of the UN Security Council Presidential Statement adopted after North Korea s Missile Launch on April 13 Strongly condemns the April 13 launch by the DPRK - Stresses that any launch that uses ballistic missile technology, even if characterized as a satellite launch or space launch vehicle, is a serious violation of Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874 Deplores that the launch has caused grave security concerns in the region Demands that the DPRK suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile programme and in this context re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launches Directs the Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1718 to designate additional entities and items, and report to the Security Council within 15 days (the Security Council to complete action to adjust these measures within an additional five days if the 15 day deadline is not met) Demands that the DPRK immediately comply fully with its obligations under Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, including that it - abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and immediately cease all related activities - not conduct any further launches that use ballistic missile technology, nuclear tests or any further provocation Expresses its determination to take action accordingly in the event of a further DPRK launch or nuclear test The day following the adoption of the presidential statement, North Korea s Foreign Ministry claimed that it totally rejected the unreasonable behavior of the UN Security Council, and that it will no longer be bound by the Leap Day deal. As North Korea went further and decided to walk away from the deal, the international community s 40

14 confidence in North Korea once again was seriously damaged. Also, creating a favorable atmosphere for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks had once again proven to be an elusive goal. 3. North Korea s Escalation of Nuclear Threats and another long-range Missile Launch in December After the long-range missile launch in April, North Korea continued to raise tensions on with its threats of physical attack against the ROK, such as through the statement by the Supreme Command of the Korean People s Army (KPA, April 18), notice of the KPA Supreme Command special operation action group (April 23), and the Open Ultimatum by the General Staff of the KPA (June 4). Furthermore, North Korea repeatedly carried out its provocative acts, such as jamming Global Positioning System (GPS) signals in the ROK, resulting in the disruption of the navigation systems of domestic and international civilian aircrafts. Meanwhile, on the day of the missile launch in April, North Korea newly stated in the preamble of the constitution that it has become a nuclear state. On July 20, the spokesperson of the North Korean Foreign Ministry announced that the hostile policy pursued by the U.S. compels North Korea to totally reexamine the nuclear issue. On August 31, the North Korean Foreign Ministry went on to release a memorandum claiming it will modernize and expand its nuclear deterrent capability beyond the U.S. imagination. Through a series of such measures, North Korea s pursuit of nuclear weapons has become even more explicit. Furthermore, North Korea continued its efforts to develop the long-range delivery capability for nuclear weapons. The North Korean Committee for Space Technology announced on December 1 its plans to launch the Kwangmyongsong-3 in the upcoming days. The plan was seen by many as North Korea s attempt to consolidate the Kim Jong-un leadership with a successful missile launch, upgrade its long-range missile technology, and seize control over the situation by aggravating tension on Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue 41

15 , especially during a political transition period of neighboring countries in the region. Faced with a situation similar to that in March, the Government set to assess and deal with the situation without delay. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) urged North Korea to withdraw the plan through the spokesperson s comments while exerting full diplomatic efforts to bring other countries on board with a view to deterring further provocations of North Korea. On December 12, North Korea launched its second long-range missile of 2012, disregarding the warnings of the international community. President Lee convened a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) to discuss Government-wide countermeasures. The Government publicly warned North Korea that it would be held duly accountable for its actions. Many other countries released statements that highlighted the fact that the launch constituted a violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874 and called upon the international community for an active response. Statement by the Government of the Republic of Korea on North Korea s Missile Launch on December 12 The Government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) detected that North Korea once again launched a long-range missile, in the name of a working satellite, at 09:51:20 on December 12, 2012, at a launching site located in Cholsan-gun, North Pyongan province. The launch by North Korea is a flagrant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006) and 1874 (2009), which prohibit any launch using ballistic missile technology, and constitutes an act of defiance which threatens not only the peace and security of but also international peace and security. The ROK Government joins the international community in strongly condemning North Korea s decision to push forward with the provocative act, disregarding the international community s repeated warnings and calls for its withdrawal of the launch. North Korea will be held duly accountable for its actions, as clearly warned by the UN Security Council in its Presidential Statement in April. 42

16 North Korea will be further isolated from the international community due to this launch. The Government once again urges North Korea to use its enormous amount of resources to enhance the livelihood of its people, rather than waste them in developing nuclear weapons and missiles. The Government is maintaining a high readiness posture against North Korea s nuclear and missile threat, as well as any other provocation by North Korea, and will take corresponding measures against the launch in close coordination with related countries and the international community. At the same time, the members of the Security Council began their endeavors to deal with the issue. The Government coordinated closely with the Council members and its allies so that the Council could come up with measures that are stronger than the presidential statement in April. The Council s discussion over the scope and level of condemnation and additional sanctions against North korea continued throughout the rest of the year, followed by a successful adoption of the Resolution 2087 by a unanimous decision on January 22, As a member of the Security Council elected for the years 2013 and 2014, the ROK actively participated in the consultations and voiced the Government s view on the issue. 4. Securing International Support for the Denuclearization of North Korea Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue As North Korea went so far as to breaking the Leap Day deal by launching a longrange missile while explicitly revealing its intention to possess nuclear weapons, the ROK Government made multi-faceted diplomatic efforts to draw out a stronger international pressure against North Korea. Holding firmly to the position that under no circumstances would it acknowledge North Korea as a nuclear state, the Government maintained close coordination with its allies, mainly the U.S. and Japan. The Foreign Ministers of the three countries - the U.S., 43

17 Japan, and the ROK - met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum on July 12, agreeing to maintain close trilateral cooperation in order to deter further provocations by the North. The trilateral joint press statement stated that a different path remains open to North Korea if it refrains from provocations and complies with its international obligations and commitments under the 2005 Joint Statement of the Six-Party Talks and UN Security Council Resolutions 1718 and 1874, which includes taking concrete actions toward denuclearization. The three ministers met again in New York on September 28, discussing ways to foster stronger cooperation as well as sharing the view that resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue and improvement of the North Korean people s livelihood are key factors for peace and stability in Northeast Asia. Based on a strong Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, the Government also concentrated on acquiring the support of China and Russia. Since China s participation is crucial in influencing North Korea, the ROK continued its efforts to persuade China to use its leverage. President Lee said at the joint press conference held after the fifth Korea - Japan-China Trilateral Summit on May 13 that North Korea s further provocation will seriously harm the security of all three countries. There must be a clear punishment for its provocations. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao explained that China Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Foreign Ministers is strongly advising North Korea against Meeting (September 28, 2012, New York) additional nuclear tests or provocations, saying the international community must convince the North to make the right decision. Furthermore, President Lee called for international support for the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue at other summit meetings. On the occasion Korea China Heads of Six-Party Talks meeting (September 5, 2012, Beijing) of various multilateral summits, the 44

18 Government made efforts to garner support for its position and actively negotiated in order to reflect in the meeting s final document the strong message of the international community condemning North Korea s nuclear program. The presidential statement adopted at the 9th ASEM Summit (September 5-6) included expressions of concern over North Korea s nuclear and missile programs as well as support for the efforts to resume the Six-Party Talks to ultimately implement the September 19 Joint Statement. Also, the participants of the 7th East Asia Summit (November 20) reaffirmed the principle of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the Six-Party Talk process, and urged full implementation of the UN Security Council Resolutions and the Joint Statement. At the IAEA General Conference held in September, co-sponsored by the ROK, a strong resolution on the North Korean nuclear issue was adopted by consensus. The IAEA was the first among international organizations to express concern over North Korea s declared plan to reexamine the nuclear policy. The Government continued its efforts to secure international support for preventing further provocative actions by the North, and actively expressed its views in press briefings, interviews, and academic forums, that North Korea must prove its willingness for denuclearization through sincere actions. Furthermore, despite the risks posed by North Korea s nuclear program, the Government s successful management of the situation on based on a strong Korea-U.S. alliance contributed to the upgrades of the country s sovereign ratings by international credit-rating agencies. Consultations with Foreign Officials Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue Date Participants of the Meeting ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. Ambassador to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Korea China Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks Korea Japan Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks 45

19 ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. Ambassador to the ROK Korea-U.S.-Japan Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Korea-Russia Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks , ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Chinese Ambassador to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. Ambassador to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Japanese Ambassador to the ROK Korea-Japan Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / IAEA Director General ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Russian Ambassador to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Chinese Ambassador to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. Ambassador to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks (phone call), Ambassadors to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks Korea-China Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks Korea-U.S.-Japan Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / IAEA Deputy Director General Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Korea-China Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks 46

20 Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Deputy Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Chinese Ambassador to the ROK Korea-U.S.-Japan Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks (phone call) ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Japanese Ambassador to the ROK Korea-China Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S., Japanese, Chinese, Russian Ambassador to the ROK Korea-U.S. Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks (phone call) ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / Chief Representatives to the Six-Party Talks (phone call), Ambassadors to the ROK ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs / U.S. Ambassador to the ROK (phone call) 5. The Status of North Korean Nuclear Affairs in 2012 and Future Tasks Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 2 Diplomatic Efforts to Resolve the North Korean Nuclear Issue The ROK Government has consistently adhered to the policy of achieving the denuclearization of North Korea through dialogue and pressure. The bottom line is that the Government will respond resolutely against North Korea s provocations and wrongdoings, but remains open to genuine dialogue if the North proves its sincerity towards giving up its nuclear weapons and programs. Unfortunately, North Korea did not come out for dialogue in Contrary to the hopes of the international 47

21 community, North Korea blamed the so-called hostile policy of the U.S. for its nuclear program. Furthermore, it continued to pursue its goals to acquire the delivery means for nuclear weapons by launching long-range missiles disguised as satellites. Also, it declared itself a nuclear state by revising its constitution. Confronted with a series of the North s provocations, such as the sinking of the ROK naval vessel Cheonan, the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island, and the unveiling of the UEP by North Korea in 2010, the Government patiently maintained a consistent and principled policy on North Korea. The goal was to end the past pattern in which North Korea gained concessions from the international community with threats and provocations while evading its obligations, and to make it clear to the North that there certainly will be consequences for making wrong choices. During the process, the ROK, in close coordination with the U.S., maintained readiness to deal with contingencies in whatever form they may appear. In addition, the Government focused on bringing more countries on board in an effort to increase pressure on North Korea. As a result, 43 countries issued statements which condemned North Korea s provocative actions in April, and that number went up to 58 in the wake of the North s second launch in December. However, it is unfortunate that we could not see clear signs of progress on the denuclearization of North Korea in 2012, owing to the North s provocations and uncooperative attitude. With the Six-Party Talks stalled for more than four years, the ultimate goal of denuclearizing North Korea still has a tough road ahead. The Government will continue on with the two-track approach toward North Korea, which includes deterring further provocations and inducing a real change of North Korea s behavior through close cooperation with the international community, including the participants of the Six-Party Talks. At the same time, the Government will leave the door open for sincere dialogue. The Government will maintain its endeavors to create a favorable atmosphere for the resumption of negotiations among the six parties and make progress in the denuclearization process which aims to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue in a fundamental and comprehensive manner. 48

22 Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 1. Deepening the Korea-U.S. Alliance In 2012, the ROK and the U.S. further deepened the Korea-U.S. strategic alliance on a basis of shared values and trust through multilateral diplomatic channels including Summits, Ministerial Meetings and the Vice-Ministerial Strategic Dialogue. In particular, based on the strong Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, our two countries have maintained close cooperation on the changing security situation on since Kim Jong Un took power in North Korea. The entry into force of the KORUS FTA on March 15, 2012 has extended the scope of the Korea-U.S. alliance to include not only the military and security sectors but also the economic sector. Furthermore, the ROK and the U.S. continued to develop the Korea-U.S. alliance into a more comprehensive strategic alliance by extending the scope and extent of the alliance through the close cooperation on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues. In 2012, the Government actively made efforts to elevate the Korea-U.S. relations to a yet more mature level, building on the close trust-based relations with the Obama Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 49

23 administration fostered through active summit diplomacy. President Barack Obama s official visit to Korea on the occasion of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit on March 25 to 27 provided an opportunity to reflect on the overall development of the Korea-U.S. relations. This was President Obama s third visit to Korea since his inauguration in 2009, which marks the highest number of visits by a U.S. President in his first term. At the Korea-U.S. Summit of March 25, President Lee Myung-bak and President Obama reaffirmed the close cooperation on North Korea and the nuclear issue and reviewed the achievements of the alliance. In addition, the two presidents noted with satisfaction that the Korea-U.S. alliance has developed into a more comprehensive strategic alliance on the basis of various areas of cooperation at the regional and global level. In particular, the two presidents agreed that North Korea s announcement of a long-range missile launch is a serious provocation which violates UN Security Council Resolutions and the U.S.-North Korea agreement in February, and threatens international peace and security. The two sides also called upon North Korea to immediately suspend all activities related to its missile program and agreed to firmly respond to any threats or provocations from the North. In addition, President Lee Myung-bak and President Obama noted with appreciation that the KORUS FTA has brought many economic benefits to both Koreans and Americans by creating new jobs and expanding trade and investment. They also agreed to continue cooperation for the smooth implementation of the KORUS FTA in the future. Korea-U.S. Summit (Seoul, March 25, 2012) 50

24 In addition to summit-level exchanges, the ROK and the U.S. exerted very active efforts with regard to high-level diplomacy including Ministerial Meetings. The ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-hwan made an official visit to the U.S. on March 7 to 10, and held a Ministerial Meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on March 9 in Washington D.C. During the Meeting, Minister Kim and Secretary Clinton consulted on the North Korean issue, ways to strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance and, the KORUS FTA, and discussed cooperation on regional and global issues. Moreover, following North Korea s missile launch on April 13, Minister Kim and Secretary Clinton immediately shared a telephone conversation and maintained close cooperation on North Korean issue. In addition, the Government held the Korea-U.S.-Japan Ministerial Meeting, thereby further strengthening the trilateral cooperation. On July 12, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan hosted the trilateral Ministerial Meeting, on the sidelines of the ARF Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, attended by U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton and Japanese Foreign Minister Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministers Meeting (Washington D.C., December 9, 2012) Koichiro Gemba. Minister Kim, Secretary Clinton and Minister Gemba discussed various issues including North Korea, regional cooperation through ASEAN, the EAS and ARF, and global challenges. On September 29, Secretary Clinton presided over the trilateral meeting on the occasion of the Korea-U.S.-Japan Ministerial Meeting UN General Assembly in New York. (Phnom Penh, July 12, 2012) Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 51

25 The three sides noted with appreciation that the three countries have worked closely together in possible areas of trilateral cooperation and agreed to further develop their cooperative relations. In addition, the ROK and the U.S. Governments further strengthened the multi-level consultations on major policy issues and various issues of interest. Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Ahn Ho-young and Deputy Secretary of State William Burns held the Korea-U.S. Vice Ministerial Strategic Dialogue on October 16 in Seoul. They discussed bilateral issues of mutual interest including ways to develop the Korea-U.S. strategic alliance, the North Korean nuclear issue, the situation in East Asia and global issues. Moreover, many U.S. high-level officials including Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides, Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell, and Deputy Assistant for East Asian and Pacific Affairs James Zumwalt made visits to Korea and, the two sides engaged in frequent high-level policy consultations. Korea-U.S. Summit and Ministerial Meetings in 2012 Korea-U.S. Summit Meeting Date March 25 Occasion President Obama s visit to Korea on the occasion of the Nuclear Security Summit (March 25-27, Seoul) Korea-U.S. Ministerial Meeting Date March 9 Occasion Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan s visit to the U.S. (March 7-10, Washington D.C.) Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Ministerial Meetings in 2012 Trilateral Ministerial Meetings Date July 12 September 28 Occasion ASEAN Regional Forum (Phnom Penh, Cambodia) UN General Assembly (New York, U.S.) 52

26 2. Consolidating the Foundation For the Strategic Alliance In 2012, the ROK Government continued to exert multi-faceted efforts to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the United States Congress. The Government also focused on promoting a better understanding of the ROK s major policies among Congressional members. In addition, the ROK stepped up contacts and exchanges with U.S. opinion leaders such as scholars and former Government officials in order to expand and consolidate the foundation for Korea-U.S. ties. With a view to bolstering inter-parliamentary exchanges, the Government fully implemented the Congressional Member Exchange Program. Through this program, Donald Manzullo, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific and David Dreier, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House, paid visits to Korea in May and in October respectively. A range of substantive experiences during their stay in Korea served as an opportunity for leading U.S. Congressional members to gain an even deeper understanding on major bilateral issues. Numerous visits to the U.S. by National Assembly members also contributed to thriving inter-parliamentary exchanges. In May, a delegation of ROK lawmakers to the U.S.-Japan-ROK Legislative Exchange Programs visited Washington D.C. In August, a group of ROK legislators attended the Republican National Convention. In October, Speaker of the National Assembly Kang Chang-hee went on an official trip to major U.S. cities. These consecutive exchange visits paved the way for strengthening inter-parliamentary cooperation Chairman of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House David Dreier meets the Korean Foreign Minister with the U.S.. Kim Sung-hwan (Seoul, October 24, 2012) Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 53

27 Furthermore, the Government fostered active communication with U.S. opinion leaders in 2012 as demonstrated by visits by former high-level officials and academic leaders from the U.S.. Among them were former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, former Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation Arthur Schneier, President of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Jane Harman and President of the Center for Strategic and International Studies John Hamre. The Invitation Program for Officials of U.S. State Governments and Legislatures was launched in 2012 with the aim of generating interest in and understanding of Korea. There were successive visits to Korea by First Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Police Department Rafael Pineiro in April, Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford in June, California State Senator Leland Yee in July, Texas State Senator John Whitmire in August and Governor of Washington Christine Gregoire in October. This new program contributed to further strengthening the foundation for the Korea-U.S. alliance by invigorating the State-level exchanges between the two countries and generating interest amongst the U.S. Government and legislature leaders in overseas Korean communities. In addition, the Government has continued to promote people-to-people exchanges, especially engaging with Americans who have close ties with Korea. In October 2012, 86 visitors - former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers and their family members -were invited to Korea as part of the 7th revisiting program. They revisited their past service locations after thirty years and witnessed the remarkable development that has taken place in Korea. This program provided a meaningful opportunity to remember and appreciate their dedication to Korea, serving to cement the friendship between the two peoples and ensure the continued development of bilateral relations. Moreover, the Government conducted active public diplomacy activities. Lectures for college students from the two countries and U.S. Congressional staff were held to provide information on and raise awareness of bilateral issues. In particular, the Government and the U.S. Embassy in Seoul jointly formed a group of diplomat lecturers to visit and explain Korea-U.S. relations and the role of diplomats to elementary and middle school students in Korea. These tailored outreach activities raised awareness 54

28 of Korea-U.S. ties amongst the future generation laying a solid basis for the further development of the Korea-U.S. alliance. Welcoming Reception for the Returning Peace Corps Volunteers to Korea (Seoul, October 26, 2012) 3. Alliance Management and the Enhancement of the Defense Posture In order to actively respond to new global security demands and the constantly changing security environment on following the sinking of the Republic of Korea ship the Cheonan and the artillery shelling of the Yeonpyeong Island, in the past few years the ROK and the U.S. Governments have expanded and intensified the initiative for the readjustment and strengthening of the alliance. In 2012, the two Governments exerted utmost efforts in various ways to deepen and advance the Korea-U.S. alliance into a Strategic Alliance for the 21st Century. At the Korea-U.S. Foreign and Defense (2+2) Ministers Meeting, which was held on June 14, 2012 in Washington D.C., the two countries reaffirmed the strength of the Korea-U.S. alliance even in the midst of instability on and regional security environment such as the death of Kim Jong-il, the launch of the Kim Jong-un regime, the long-range missile test, the presidential elections in 2012 in the ROK and the U.S. and change of leaderships in China and Russia. Furthermore, they deterred further provocations by North Korea and enhanced regional stability by conveying Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 55

29 once again a clear message regarding North Korea at this meeting. In addition, with regard to Korean Peninsula issues, the ROK and the U.S. engaged in earnest discussions on measures for their cooperation from a mid to long-term and strategic framework, not only from the perspective of Korea-U.S. cooperation but, in the 21st century, the age of the Asia-Pacific, giving serious thought to what shape their partnership would take in the regional and global dimension. The KIDD (Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue) was held on two occasions - in April and in September following the agreement reached by allies to establish this meeting at the 43rd SCM (Security Consultative Meeting) in October The KIDD, which integrates into one mechanism various channels for defense dialogue (the Security Policy Initiative (SPI), Extended Deterrence Policy Committee (EDPC), and Strategic Alliance 2015 Working Group (SAWG)), has led to greater efficiency and generated a synergy effect. In this way, the ROK and the U.S. have an implementation system in place which serves to support the foreign and defense ministerial talks. KIDD (Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue) in 2012 Date Delegation Venue April September Lim Gwan-bin (Deputy Minister for Policy, MND), Lee Baek-soon (Director- General of North American Affairs Bureau, MOFAT) David Helvey (Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, DOD), James Zumwalt (Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, DOS) Lim Gwan-bin (Deputy Minister for Policy, MND) Lee Baek-soon (Director-General of North American Affairs Bureau, MOFAT) David Helvey (Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, DOD), Rober Rapson (Director for Korean Affairs, DOS) Washington D.C., U.S. Seoul, ROK On October , the ROK and the U.S. held the 44th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Washington D.C.. At this meeting, the alliance agreed to establish a Tailored Deterrence Strategy which will map out joint deterrence options tailored to the security environment on. The Strategy will serve as a means to materialize U.S. commitment for extended deterrence and to effectively deter North Korean nuclear and WMD threats. 56

30 As part of these efforts, the alliance held a EDPC Table Top Exercise on December 6-7 which provided a useful opportunity to discuss ways to effectively deter various types of North Korean nuclear and WMD threats and simulated consultation and decisionmaking process between the two Governments in case of nuclear crisis. The TTX has laid a meaningful foundation for further enhancing the alliance s extended deterrence capability and fostering combined defense posture. In addition, on October 7, 2012, the Government announced the Revised Missile Guidelines (RMG), following two years close consultations since September The major improvements are: First, the maximum range of ballistic missiles is extended from 300km to 800km. With a payload of 500kg to the maximum range of 800km as a baseline, a trade-off is applied whereby the weight of the warhead can be increased if the range is reduced. Second, the weight of the warhead is increased fivefold from 500kg to 2,500kg for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Third, for cruise missiles, there is no range limit unless the weight of the warhead exceeds 500kg which remains the same under the previous Guidelines. Fourth, there are no restrictions on R&D even for R&D on missiles or UAVs which is the same as the previous Guidelines. The RMG is the outcome that has been produced based on the trust and partnership of the Korea-U.S. alliance. It is especially meaningful in that the alliance becomes able to secure a sufficient level of the range and weight of ballistic missiles and payload of UAVs that meets present and future military demands. Based on the RMG, the Government will be able to secure various effective means to neutralize the North Korean nuclear or WMD capabilities at an early stage in the event of an armed attack or provocation by North Korea and protect the lives and safety of ROK citizens. Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 4. Improving the Management of the Korea-U.S. SOFA The ROK Government has been exerting its utmost efforts to ensure that the implementation of the Korea-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) results in a stable 57

31 stationing environment for the USFK and enhanced Korea-U.S. combined defense capabilities. The Government is also working to resolve pending issues to avoid any inconvenience to citizens which may result from the stationing of the USFK in Korea. To this end, the Government has made continued efforts to improve the implementation of the SOFA through various consultation channels. One of the major achievements of 2012 was the improvement of the SOFA implementation of criminal jurisdiction, which enhanced the investigation right over USFK members. Further valuable achievements have been made, such as various public outreach activities. First of all, following the rape of a girl by a USFK soldier in September 2011 in Dongducheon, the Government and the USFK launched a review of the SOFA Article XXII on Criminal Jurisdiction. Following intensive consultations between the Government and the USFK, at the 190th SOFA Joint Committee, May 23, 2012, they produced a SOFA Joint Committee agreement that improved the implementation of the SOFA criminal jurisdiction. According to the agreement, when the Korean police arrest a U.S. suspect, they have the right to detain the suspect until they finish the initial investigation for a reasonable time after the presence of a United States representative. Furthermore, the new agreement has eliminated the restraint stipulated in the Agreed View relative to the Article XXII that the Korean Prosecutor s Office must indict the U.S. suspect within 24 hours in cases where the USFK transfers custody of the suspect to the Government prior to indictment. As a result, a U.S. suspect who is in USFK custody can be transferred to the Government before indictment without such requirement. This enables the Government to take custody of a U.S. suspect through the Korea USFK mutual consultations at both stages of the investigation by the police and by the prosecutor s office. By enabling the Government to detain a USFK suspect for the initial investigation for a reasonable time and to take custody transferred by the USFK prior to indictment, this Joint Committee agreement is credited with reinforcing investigation rights and function of the agencies over USFK members. Although this agreement does not constitute a revision of the SOFA, it is still binding between the Government and the USFK. The conclusion of this agreement has substantially enhanced the SOFA implementation of criminal jurisdiction and overcome, to some 58

32 extent, the perception that the criminal jurisdiction falls behind that of Japan or Germany under the SOFA. The Government has been actively conducting public outreach to familiarize Korean people with the SOFA. In June 2012, it published and distributed pamphlets and manuals. They contain actions to be taken by the victims and contact details for specific cases to help citizens to seek prompt and appropriate remedy with regard to SOFA-related incidents. The Government has also established a regular Korea USFK consultative channel to review the Sexual Crime Prevention Programs in the USFK. The and the U.S. are also working extensively to further improve the implementation of the SOFA in various fields by enhancing the rights of Korean employees within the USFK and protecting Korean cultural properties located within U.S. bases. The Government will continue to strengthen close cooperation with the relevant authorities to ensure the faithful implementation of the SOFA and the smooth resolution of pending issues. The Government will also continue its efforts to further improve the implementation of the SOFA through constructive consultations via SOFA channels, such as the Joint Committee, the Special Joint Committee and Subcommittees, on a basis of mutual trust and cooperation between the two Governments. Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 3 Enhancing and Developing the Korea-U.S. Strategic Alliance 59

33 Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries 1. Korea-Japan Relations In 2012 Korea and Japan managed to uphold a close bilateral cooperative system, in dealing with international issues, including the North Korea situation. In addition, the two countries made continuous efforts to promote substantial cooperation by enhancing economic cooperation as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The two countries continued diplomatic efforts to settle pending bilateral issues including the matter of the so-called Comfort Women, the victims who were forced into military sexual slavery during the Second World War, and on the occasion of the bilateral summit and foreign ministers meeting, there were close discussions between high-level officials, regarding major pending issues, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and international issues. In May 2012, the two countries held bilateral summit talks on the occasion of the Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit (Beijing), and held extensive discussions on the North Korean matter, regional situations in East Asia, and pending bilateral issues. 60

34 During the two Korea-Japan Foreign Ministers meetings which were held respectively on the occasion of the Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministers meeting (April) and the UN General Assembly (September), the two sides reconfirmed their mutual understanding to exert efforts to foster future-oriented relations, looking upon the historical past, and exchanged views of mutual interest including regional and international situations as well as cooperation within the international community. Japan continued to make unreasonable claims on Dokdo such as the approval of new high school textbooks (March), release of the Diplomatic Bluebook (April) and Defense of Japan (August) which contained unreasonable claims on Dokdo, and the dispatch of Japanese Government officials to the Tokyo assembly that claimed an early settlement of the Dokdo issue. Against such provocations, the ROK Government demanded that Japan withdraw its claim over Dokdo : the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade released a statement of strong protest against the Japanese claim and expressed deep regret. In particular, the Japanese Government strongly protested against Korean President Lee Myung-bak s visit to Dokdo on August 10, 2012, that the Korean Government take the Dokdo issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and sent a letter of protest from Prime Minister Noda, complicating bilateral relations. However, the Government dismissed the Japanese Government s suggestion to send the Dokdo issue to the ICJ as it was unworthy of consideration, and returned the letter of Prime Minister Noda, counteracting Japan s unreasonable claim in a firm and resolute manner. In addition, the Government continued to find historical sources and research on the grounds of Korean territorial rights to Dokdo and strengthen supplemental logic on the basis of the international law. Furthermore, the Government made efforts to promote to the international community that the core of the Dokdo issue lies on historical factors of Japan s attempt to incorporate Dokdo during the course of its imperialist invasion of the Korean peninsula. As a result, many articles supporting Korea s position appeared in major publications around the world, and international opinion also gave Korea its active support. With regard to the matter of Korean Comfort Women, the Government continuously exerted diplomatic efforts to fundamentally settle the issue, including Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries 61

35 ongoing negotiations between Korean and Japanese foreign ministries taking into consideration the decision of the Constitutional Court which was issued on August 31, Furthermore, at the international stage including the United Nations General Assembly Korea Japan Ministerial Meeting and Human Rights Council, Korea (New York, September 27, 2012) brought up the Comfort Women issue to shed light on the international community, urging Japan to make a sincere effort. Meanwhile, on the basis of developing bilateral economic cooperation and cultural and people-to-people exchanges, the Government pursued bilateral exchanges and public diplomacy in order to promote mutual understanding between Korea and Japan. In 2012, the two Governments agreed to resume the Korea-Japan exchange of young diplomats, which had been in operation from 1998 to 2001, and for the first time, conducted the Youth Policy Advisory Group of Foreign Policy toward Japan, with the participation of Korean university students, to draw the interest of youth and to gather constructive opinions in creating a policy for the development of bilateral relations. The amount of bilateral trade, which exceeded 100 billion USD, reached billion USD in 2012, demonstrating that Japan was Korea s second largest trading partner. In the area of people-to-people exchanges, 3.52 million Japanese nationals visited Korea in 2012, while the number of Korean nationals who visited Japan recorded 2.04 million, a 32 percent increase, keeping growing stance. In addition, the Korea-Japan Festival, which has been growing to become a representative cultural festival between Korea and Japan, was also successfully held on September 29-October 2, 2012, in Tokyo, and September 29-October 3, in Seoul. 62

36 Bilateral Summit Date May 13 Occasion Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit (Beijing) Bilateral Foreign Ministers Meetings Date April 7 Occasion The 6th Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Ningbo) September 27 UN General Assembly (New York) Other Major High-Level Exchanges Date Occasion January 8-9 Speaker of the National Assembly Park Hee-tae s Visit to Japan March 5-6 Former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama s Visit to Korea Securing Peace and Stability on March 9 April April April 29-May 1 May Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Kenichiro Sasae s Visit to Korea Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tsuyoshi Saito s Visit to Korea Minister in Charge of the Abduction Issue Jin Matsubara s Visit to Korea Parliamentary Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi s Visit to Korea Governor of Hukushima Prefecture Yuhei Sato s Visit to Korea Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries May Former Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Kim Jae-shin s Visit to Japan June 7-8 July October Minister of Gender Equality & Family Kim Kum-lae Visit to Japan Visit to Korea by The League of Building a Strategic Partnership between Japan and the Republic of Korea, Democratic Party of Japan Democratic Party Chairman Lee Hae-chan s Visit to Japan November Governor of Aichi Prefecture Hideaki Omura s Visit to Korea 63

37 2. Korea-China Relations Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and China in 2012, the two countries continued efforts to further advance their strategic cooperative partnership to achieve common strategic objectives. The ROK and China forged shared perceptions toward maintaining peace and stability on as well as creating favorable conditions for the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, and consolidated bilateral channels of dialogue and cooperation on political and security issues. In addition, the ROK and China yielded some tangible results on bilateral cooperation such as the launch of the Korea-China FTA negotiations and agreement to conclude consular agreements in a timely manner. The ROK and China strengthened bilateral dialogue and exchanges at the Governmental, congressional and military levels. The two Governments consolidated their political trust by promoting frequent high-level exchanges, which culminated at President Lee Myung-bak s two state visits to China during his presidency. In March, President Hu Jintao paid a state visit to the ROK to attend the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit. In May, President Lee Myung-bak held summit meetings with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit. In November, President Lee Myung-bak and Premier Wen Jiabao held another summit meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN+3 summit. The ROK and China held a total of five foreign ministerial talks including the ones on the occasion of Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi s visit to Korea in March and Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan s visit to China in April. Additionally, the Government invited a number of high-level Chinese officials from both central and provincial Governments as part of its efforts to build the foundation of a future-oriented relationship with China and deepen bilateral cooperation. To this end, Wang Qishan and Sun Zhengcai visited Korea in June, Meng Jianzhu in July and Xuguang Guo in November. The Government also continued its congressional exchanges with China; Vice President of the Chinese People s Political Consultative Conference Wang Zhizhen and Vice Chairman of the National People s 64

38 Congress Standing Committee Chen Zhili visited Korea in May and in September respectively. With regard to matters on including the North Korean nuclear issues, the Government continued its efforts to obtain China s cooperation and foster closer dialogue in a timely manner. In the wake of Pyongyang s two long-range missile tests in April and in December, the two Governments promptly held a telephone conversation at the foreign ministerial level and a consultative meeting between top envoys of the Six-Party Talks. In July, the two sides also had a strategic defense dialogue at the vice ministerial level and the fifth round of high-level strategic dialogue in November. On the academic front, the Korea-China Joint Research Committee, established upon the bilateral agreement at the 2008 summit, released a report entitled The Korea- China Strategic Cooperative Partnership for Joint Development in April The subsequent joint research committee was established in 2011 and submitted its final report in September 2012 outlining policy recommendations for the ROK and Chinese Governments to further deepen their strategic cooperative partnership. The year 2012 also witnessed a constant increase in bilateral economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. The trade volume between the two countries reached billion USD. China remained the ROK s largest trading partner both in terms of investment and trade surplus, while the ROK remained China s third largest. Furthermore, people-to-people exchanges reached 6.9 million in 2012, a remarkable increase from 130,000 in 1992 when the two countries first established diplomatic ties. In addition, there were over 837 commercial flights linking the two countries together every week. With regard to boosting public diplomacy toward China, the Korean Foreign Ministry exchanged mutual visits between Korean and Chinese young diplomats with China s International Department of the Central Committee of the CPC, which contributed toward improving mutual perceptions and diversifying bilateral channels of communication. The Government also initiated a number of journalist exchange programs with China to promote a sense of connectedness at all levels of society in both countries. Specifically, the Government promoted a gathering with Chinese Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries 65

39 correspondents based in Korea in March, provided support for Chinese journalists visit to Korea and launched exchange programs between Korean and Chinese press groups in June and in November respectively in Furthermore, the Korea China Summit (Beijing, January 9, 2012) Government provided support for bilateral youth exchanges, including mutual visits among approximately 1,000 students as well as festivals for Chinese students studying in Korea, in order to deepen mutual understandings of the general public in both Korea and China. As part of its efforts to promote the stable development of Korea-China relations, the Government held two consultative talks on illegal fishing with its Chinese counterpart. In this context, the ROK held other joint meetings focusing on illegal fishing with Chinese fishermen as well as Chinese correspondents based in Korea and invited Chinese officials from relevant provincial Governments to Korea. In addition, the Government carefully monitored the Chinese news media and the public opinion formed on the Internet to manage and even prevent potential anti-korean sentiments within China. By building a comprehensive database on Chinese leaders of major provinces and cities and sharing it with other relevant Government bodies and research institutions in Korea, the ROK built a strong foundation for more active bilateral cooperation with China at the provincial level as well. Bilateral Summits Date January 9 March 26 May 14 Occasion President Lee Myung-bak s Official Visit to China (Beijing) President Hu Jintao s Attendance of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit (Seoul) Korea Japan-China Trilateral Summit (Beijing) 66

40 President-Premier Meetings Date May 13 November 19 Occasion Korea Japan-China Trilateral Summit (ROK President-Chinese Premier Meeting, Beijing) ASEAN+3 Summit (ROK President-Chinese Premier Meeting, Phnom Penh) Foreign Ministers /Vice Foreign Ministers Meetings Date Occasion March 2 March 26 April 7 July 12 September 24 November 26 Other Major High-Level Exchanges Date March April Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi s Visit to Korea (Seoul) Seoul Nuclear Security Summit (Seoul) Korea Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministerial Meeting (Ningbo) ASEAN+3/ARF (Phnom Penh) UN General Assembly (New York) Korea China High-Level Strategic Dialogue (ROK First Vice Foreign Minister-Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Meeting, Beijing) Occasion Chinese Vice Minister of the International Department of Central Committee of CPC Yu Hongjun s Visit to Korea ROK Minister of Gender Equality & Family Kim Kunlae s Visit to China Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries April May May May 30-June 3 June 4-8 Chinese Vice Chairman of the National People s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee Nan Zhenzhong s Visit to Korea ROK Minister of Government Legislation Jeong Sun-tae s Visit to China Chinese Vice Chairman of the People s Political Consultative Conference Wang Zhizhen s Visit to Korea ROK Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection Yang Kun s Visit to China Former Chinese Vice Chairman of the National People s Congress Xu Jialu s Visit to Korea 67

41 June June June July 4-6 July July August 28- September 2 September 2-5 September October October October 31- November 2 November 7-12 November November November 28- December 5 Chinese Provincial Party Secretary of Jilin Province Sun Zhengcai s Visit to Korea ROK Minister of Gender Equality & Family Kim Kunlae s Visit to China Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan s Visit to Korea Chinese Chairman of the People s Political Consultative Conference Foreign Affairs Committee Zhao Qizheng s Visit to Korea Chinese Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu s Visit to Korea Chinese Mayor of Shanghai Han Zheng s Visit to Korea ROK Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Kwang-shik s Visit to China Chinese Vice Chairman of the National People s Congress Standing Committee Chen Zhili s Visit to Korea Chinese Party Secretary of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences Pan Shiwei s Visit to Korea Chinese Vice President of the People s Institute of Foreign Affairs Lu Shumin s Visit to Korea ROK Minister of Unification Yu Woo-ik s Visit to China Chinese Delegation of the Central Party School s Visit to Korea ROK Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Yang Sung-tae s Visit to China ROK Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Yang Kun s Visit to China Chinese Communist Party Friendship Group s Visit to Korea Chinese Yinchuan Municipal Party Committee Secretary Xuguang Guo s Visit to Korea 3. Korea-Japan-China Relations The 5th Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit, which was held in May 2012, demonstrated the firmly established system of the annual Trilateral Summit Meeting independent of the ASEAN+3 process. Trilateral cooperation has rapidly developed since the leaders held the first breakfast meeting on the occasion of the ASEAN+3 68

42 Summit in Since 2008, the three countries have annually hosted a Trilateral Summit Meeting, independent of the ASEAN+3 process. In 2012, the 5th Trilateral Summit Meeting was held in Beijing on May However, amid rapidly changing political situations in Northeast Asia, a Trilateral Summit Meeting on the occasion of the ASEAN+3/EAS was not held due to the lack of agreement among the three countries regarding whether the summit should be held. In 2012, economic and trade cooperation among Korea, Japan and China deepened. On the occasion of the 5th Trilateral Summit, which was attended by President Lee Myung-bak, Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the three countries signed the Trilateral Agreement for the Promotion, Facilitation and Protection of Investment and agreed that the three countries should immediately commence preparatory work to enable the launch of the trilateral FTA negotiations within the year. As a result, the economic and trade ministers of Korea, Japan and China declared the official start of the free trade talks at the Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers Meeting (November 20, 2012) on the occasion of the ASEAN+3 held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The leaders of Korea, Japan, and China adopted the Joint Declaration on the Enhancement of Trilateral Comprehensive Cooperative Partnership, Joint Statement on Agricultural Cooperation, and Joint Statement of Cooperation on Sustainable Forest Management, Combating Desertification and Wildlife Conservation in order to further expand trilateral cooperation. In addition, they agreed to cooperate in new fields such as public diplomacy, industrial cooperation, combating desertification, joint response to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcano eruptions, and the exchange of regional weather data. Furthermore, the leaders enhanced communication and cooperation among Korea, Japan and China by exchanging views on the situation in Northeast Asia including North Korea s missile launch in April 2012 and agreeing on the need to continuously pursue the expansion of free trade for the recovery of the world economy. In 2012, the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS), which was established in Seoul in 2011, contributed to the institutionalization of trilateral cooperation by hosting various activities. Since its establishment, the TCS has been active in fostering Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries 69

43 The 5th Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit (Beijing, May 13-14, 2012) cooperation among Korea, Japan, and China. In 2012, it participated in major inter- Governmental consultative mechanisms such as the Trilateral Summit, the Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting, and the Trilateral Economic and Trade Ministers Meeting. In October 2012, the TCS held the International Forum for the Trilateral Cooperation on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of its establishment. In addition, it explored potential cooperative projects such as the Trilateral Parliamentary Forum and the Trilateral Network of Focal Points/Experts for Disaster Management and the Trilateral Table Top Exercise. Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit Meeting Date May Occasion Exchange of Views among President Lee Myung-bak, Japanese Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the occasion of the 5th Trilateral Summit Meeting (Beijing) Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting Date April 8 Occasion Exchange of Views among Foreign Minister Kim Sung-Hwan, Japanese Foreign Minister Gemba Koichiro and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on the occasion of the 6th Trilateral Foreign Ministers Meeting (Ningbo) 70

44 4. Korea-Russia Relations In 2012, based on the Strategic Cooperative Partnership established during President Lee s First visit to Moscow in September 2008, Korea and Russia have continuously strengthened their relations in various areas such as politics, economics and culture, sharing the strategic goal of common peace, stability, and economic prosperity on and in Northeast Asia. Korea and Russia have laid the basis for institutionalization of regular summit meetings and have enhanced strategic cooperation and political trust by bolstering summit diplomacy and high-level exchanges. In particular, the Lee administration was distinguished by the most active summit diplomacy, including eight summit meetings and six mutual visits by the heads of the two countries over the last 5 years. In March, President Lee Myung-bak held a bilateral meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the occasion of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, and had an in-depth discussion on issues of mutual interest, including the North Korean issue and ways to expand economic cooperation between the two countries. Most importantly, the two presidents shared the view that North Korea s plan to launch a long-range missile is a clear violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions, and discussed possible cooperative measures to address the issue. Also, they agreed to make continuous efforts for a smooth progress of existing projects such as the triangular economic cooperation projects among South Korea, North Korea and Russia, simultaneously searching for and pursuing new cooperative projects. It is notable that based on the above bilateral agreement, Russia voted for both UN Security Council Presidential Statement and Resolution 2087, condemning the North s rocket launches in April and in December respectively. With Russia s participation, the International Community successfully delivered a clear message to North Korea that the North s nuclear development can never be tolerated. The Korea-Russia Summit held on the sidelines of the September 2012 APEC Summit in Vladivostok did indeed hold great meaning in that it was the first meeting between the two presidents since President Putin took office and provided an opportunity for an exchange of views on the direction for the development of Korea-Russia relations. At this meeting the two Securing Peace and Stability on Chapter 4 Strengthening Cooperation with Neighboring Countries 71

45 Korea-Russia Summit ( Seoul, March 26, 2012) leaders reaffirmed the will to push ahead with the strategic project for the ROK-North Korea-Russia natural gas pipeline. Furthermore, with the aim of enhancing people-topeople and cultural exchanges, they agreed to pursue social security agreements and visa waiver agreements for the holders of ordinary passports. Moreover, various inter-governmental consultations, including at the high-level, were actively held, such as the Korea-Russia Strategic Dialogue (Vice Minister level), Policy Council (Deputy Minister level), Joint Committee on Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation, and Meeting of Director-Generals for Consular Affairs. Such channels provided valuable opportunities for discussions on measures for enhancing substantial cooperation between the two countries. Furthermore, talks between the Vice Ministers of the National Defense and a consultative channel between security advisors of the Office of the President were newly formed, thereby greatly enhancing the network for cooperation in the field of foreign policy and security issues. Korea-Russia High-Level Exchanges in 2012 Bilateral Summits Date March 26 September 8 Occasion Korea-Russia Summit held on the sidelines of the 2012 Seoul Nuclear Security Summit Korea-Russia Summit held on the sidelines of the 2012 APEC Summit in Vladivostok 72