Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Government discusses international cooperation to constrain North Korean nuclear activities

The Minister of National Defense, Han Minkoo, will be making a speech at the 15th Asia Security Summit(referred to as the Shangri-La Dialogue), on the topic of ‘National Defense Policy-making at a time of Uncertainty.’

At this summit, which will be held in Singapore from June 3 to 5, Defense Minister Han Min-koo will clarify our government’s position on enhancing the level of international cooperation to constrain North Korean nuclear development, urging the faithful discharge of UN Security Council Resolution 2270. In addition, he will bring forward his opinions on regional security issues, as well as provide a direction for defense policy enforcement to overcome any security uncertainties which is caused by increasing non-traditional threats to national security such as terror, disasters and cyber attacks.

Organized by the British International Institute for Strategic Studies(IISS), the Asia Security Summit is a multilateral security meeting that has been held in Singapore every year since 2002. It is a 1.5-track multilateral security council that includes defense ministers and security experts from Korea, the U.S., Japan, China, and Russia, as well as from ASEAN and EU nations. Especially for this year’s council, there will be a special session on the ‘Deterrence of North Korean Threats’; Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and British representatives are going to present on this issue and lead the discussion.

Furthermore, during this meeting, Defense Minister Han Min-koo will hold a defense ministerial talk with major participating nations including the U.S., Japan, China, France and Switzerland, and he will also engage in a discussion on enhancing and addressing issues related to the system of cooperation and current national defense issues in order to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats by holding Korea-U.S.-Japan defense ministerial talks.

It is expected that the minister will discuss the following: ▲an evaluation of the security situation around the Korean Peninsula and surrounding regions, ▲cooperation with and mutual assistance from the international community for the denuclearization of North Korea, and ▲the common interests of both nations such as national defense exchange and cooperation.

Moreover, during individual talks with leading personnel from the US Congress, including the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Senator John McCain, Defense Minister Han Min-koo will exchange opinions on plans to cope with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. He will also make a request for active support for a Korea-U.S. alliance.

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >
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