President Moon Jae-in spoke on the phone today with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and President of the European Council Donald Tusk. These were his first telephone conversations with the two leaders since he took office.

The telephone discussion between President Moon and UN Secretary-General Guterres began at 4:00 in the afternoon and lasted approximately 20 minutes. President Moon began by explaining that his presidential pledges and major policy tasks of his Administration—the mitigation of social discrimination, support for the socially vulnerable, realization of a society that values labor, provision of ways to escape poverty and the realization of gender equality—share the same objectives as the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. He went on to say that the Korean Government would actively work together with the United Nations to this end.

President Moon noted the fact that Secretary-General Guterres suggested to designate this year the year of peace, placing emphasis on the prevention of conflict and the establishment of peace. The President promised that the new Administration of Korea would actively cooperate toward this objective.

President Moon then expressed his appreciation to the Secretary-General for denouncing North Korea`s missile launch on May 14 via his spokesperson`s statement and urging the North to return to the path of denuclearization while adhering to international obligations. The President said he would pursue the denuclearization of the North in a bold and fundamental manner by utilizing all possible means such as sanctions and dialogue in cooperation with the international community. The President added that he would work closely together with the United Nations, including the Security Council, to achieve this goal.

Commenting on his visit to North Korea in 1989, Secretary-General Guterres said that it has recently become especially important to maintain peace in Northeast Asia. He also emphasized that a full-fledged military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula had to be prevented at any cost.

The Secretary-General requested President Moon`s participation in the UN General Assembly meeting to be held in September this year, and the President said he would look into arranging a visit. President Moon and Secretary-General Guterres agreed to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in July. 

Then, in a 20-minute phone conversation from 5 p.m. with EU Council President Tusk, President Moon said Korea is a country that has signed three key pacts with the EU: the framework agreement, free trade agreement and risk management activity pact, adding that progress in the Korea-EU strategic partnership is very satisfactory.

President Moon expressed his gratitude for the EU to continuously support South Korea’s policy to promote the denuclearization of North Korea. Noting that the EU has played a very important role in concluding the Iran nuclear deal, President Moon said he hoped that Korea and the EU would be able to continue to strengthen strategic communications and cooperation in the years to come so that the North would completely dismantle its nuclear program.

In response, President Tusk said a resolution containing a statement on North Korea was being prepared for the G7 Summit scheduled in Italy next week. President Tusk asked whether there were any points the Korean Government would like to add in the draft, promising that he would try to reflect any views as fully as possible.