Deputy Secretary Sherman’s Meetings with Republic of Korea Minister of Unification Kwon and Vice Minister Kim

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met separately with Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of Unification Kwon Young-se and Vice Minister of Unification Kim Ki-woong on June 8 and condemned the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and as deeply destabilizing to the region.  The Deputy Secretary underscored the importance of close cooperation between and among the United States, the ROK, and Japan to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The Deputy Secretary, Minister, and Vice Minister also expressed concern about the impact of the DPRK’s COVID-19 outbreak on the North Korean people.  Deputy Secretary Sherman expressed support for efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the DPRK, including inter-Korean cooperation efforts.