The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini today met with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Ms Kang Kyung-wha. The two addressed the excellent state of bilateral relations, from trade to cooperation in operation Atalanta, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, and the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA).

High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini briefed Foreign Minister Kang on the discussions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) held between EU Foreign Ministers at the 16 October Foreign Affairs Council, and by EU leaders on the first day of the European Council on 19 October. The High Representative reiterated that the European Union expects the DPRK to fully and unconditionally, without delay, comply with its obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions and to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. The High Representative/Vice-President and the Foreign Minister agreed that lasting peace and the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula must be achieved through peaceful means, through credible and meaningful dialogue. High-Representative/Vice-President Mogherini briefed Foreign Minister Kang on the EU's sanctions regime towards the DPRK, which is the most stringent the EU has in place towards any country, having been further reinforced by the EU autonomous measures adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 October 2017.  The High Representative stressed that increased diplomatic and economic pressure is aimed at opening the necessary space for diplomacy and that in order to achieve the full implementation of UN sanctions, which is crucial to exert this pressure, the European Union is, and will continue to reach out to third countries.

The meeting also allowed for an exchange of views on the Iran nuclear deal and its implications for the North Korea nuclear issue. The High Representative and the Foreign Minister acknowledged its importance to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.