Diplomatic Strategy

[Anchor Lead]

The government held an urgent meeting bringing together ambassadors stationed at the UN and those with the four major powers Korea engages with. Together they reaffirmed Korea's decision to deploy the THAAD missile defense system.

[Pkg]

During a meeting with ambassadors stationed at the UN and the four major powers surrounding Korea, Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn assessed the gravity of the political situation on the Korean Peninsula and expressed concern over additional provocations from North Korea.

[Soundbite] Hwang Kyo-ahn(Acting President) : "It's believed that N. Korea could launch a strategic provocation or a deceptive dialogue offense during the transitional period in the U.S."

Hwang reaffirmed Seoul's stance to deploy the U.S. antimissile shield THAAD as scheduled for consistent policy coordination between South Korea and the U.S. During the meeting, officials also agreed to push for high-level policy consultations with the U.S. ahead of the incoming Trump administration's launch. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se called for a preemptive and proactive response to changes in the diplomatic environment stemming from the incoming Trump administration.

[Soundbite] Yun Byung-se(Foreign Minister) : "At the center of a major impending shift, we must not fear new challenges or change, but respond in a preemptive and strategic manner."

In the meeting, the government decided that in addition to addressing the diplomatic friction with China over the THAAD deployment, comprehensive measures must be devised regarding the issue of Japan's opposition against a statue symbolizing Tokyo's wartime sex slavery victims. The government vowed to work toward normalizing relations with the two neighboring countries.