Yoon Holds Bilateral Talks with 14 Countries at ASEAN and G20 Summits... Strengthening North Korea Cooperation and Economic Collaboration

Additional Countries Including Canada and Laos... Strengthening Foundations for Inter-Korean and Economic Cooperation
Regarding the Holding of the Korea-China Summit, "A Meeting in India Is Not Planned"

President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold bilateral talks with 14 countries on the occasion of attending the East Asia Summit (ASEAN) and the Group of Twenty (G20) summit meetings. Additionally, bilateral talks with six more countries are being coordinated to strengthen cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and to establish a new foundation for economic cooperation.

A presidential office official met with reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the afternoon of the 4th and disclosed the detailed schedule of President Yoon's bilateral talks with 14 countries. The official said, "During the ASEAN summit held in Indonesia and Cambodia, bilateral talks were scheduled with five countries: Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, and the Cook Islands, but Canada and Laos were added." He continued, "For the G20 summit held in India, MIKTA, Bangladesh, and Comoros were additionally confirmed, making a total of 14 countries for bilateral talks during the multilateral meetings, and talks with six more countries are underway."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Among the six countries with whom talks are being coordinated, China is reportedly not included. It is widely believed that Chinese President Xi Jinping is unlikely to attend this G20 summit. A presidential office official also stated regarding whether a Korea-China summit would be held during the G20 summit, "Given the current situation, a Korea-China meeting in India does not seem to be planned."

However, in a written interview with the Associated Press released that morning, President Yoon called on China to play a role in North Korea's denuclearization. Mentioning North Korea's economic dependence on China (as of 2022, trade with China accounts for 96.7% of North Korea's total trade), President Yoon emphasized, "China holds significant influence over North Korea. As a permanent member of the UN Security Council responsible for maintaining international peace and stability, China should make constructive efforts toward North Korea's denuclearization." He added, "It should also be considered that North Korea's nuclear development exacerbates regional instability, which is ultimately undesirable from China's national interest perspective."

In response, the official explained, "We have repeatedly expressed the position that the two UN Security Council members, Russia and China, should share responsibility and roles to actively prevent China's illegal development of WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction)." He added, "Recently, after North Korea reopened its borders following COVID-19, the amount of dollars handed over by workers sent to China and Russia to the North Korean authorities is considerable. If possible, China and Russia could cooperate on this issue."

President Yoon repeatedly mentioned cooperation to establish a deterrence system against North Korea's nuclear weapons in the interview. He said, "North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and missiles violates UN Security Council resolutions and is an act that directly challenges peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as world peace." He added, "The international community must clearly demonstrate that its resolve to prevent North Korea's nuclear development is much stronger than North Korea's will to develop nuclear weapons."

In particular, President Yoon called on the international community for specific sanctions against North Korea. He stated, "If the currently enforced UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea are faithfully implemented, it can significantly cut off funding sources for North Korea's weapons of mass destruction." He further said, "At the G20 meeting, we plan to emphasize the need to actively block North Korea's illegal activities, such as virtual asset theft, dispatching overseas workers, and maritime transshipment, which are major funding sources for nuclear and missile development, and to pay attention to the horrific human rights conditions of North Korean residents, who are mobilized as means for the North Korean regime to maintain power."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.