Wang is analyzing the background of China’s foreign minister’s remarks.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is fully aware of Wang Yi’s recent opposition to the South Korea-U.S. joint drills at a foreign ministers’ meeting at the ASEAN Regional Forum.
“The joint South Korea-U.S. military exercise lacks constructivity under the current situation,” Wang said at an ARF meeting on the 6th. “North Korea has suspended nuclear tests and long-range ballistic missile tests for years, so sanctions should be eased to resume dialogue.”
“Most of the international community fully understands that the joint exercise is an exercise that is not threatened to certain countries, including North Korea, because the nature of the joint exercise is annual and defensive,” a Foreign Ministry official said on Wednesday.
He added, “But it is unusual for China to mention the contents in the ARF.”
Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong, who spoke later than Wang at the meeting, did not mention the joint drill, but it was difficult to communicate in exchange due to the format of the meeting, the ministry said.
An official said, “Considering the fact that there were some non-face-to-face burnings, Minister Chung did not directly refute or make additional remarks about the remarks of certain countries at this meeting.”
Ahn Kwang-il, the North’s ambassador to ASEAN and his owner, did not mention joint drills, and North Korea also made a theoretical statement regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula that it hopes for peace and stability.
Ambassador Ahn reportedly explained his efforts to prevent coronavirus 19 and said he would make efforts to develop a self-reliant state and ensure national security even under pressure from hostile forces.
Although it did not mention the restoration of the inter-Korean communication line, the ARF chairman’s statement, which also includes North Korea’s participation, included a message welcoming the resumption of the line.
The statement by the chairmen of the four ASEAN-related foreign ministers’ meetings, including the ARF, supported the South Korean government’s efforts to improve the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, and emphasized dialogue and diplomatic importance for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, the ministry said.