Top diplomat to draw attention to gravity of NK threat in Germany meetings

Published : Feb 15, 2017 - 14:37 Updated : Feb 15, 2017 - 14:37

South Korea's top diplomat said Wednesday that he will work to raise the awareness of the gravity and urgency of North Korea's nuclear threats during international events to be held in Germany this week.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se is to leave for Bonn where a foreign ministers' meeting of a group of 20 countries will kick off on Thursday for a two-day run. He will also attend the Munich Security Conference that follows later in the week.

Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se (Yonhap)

Yun is seeking to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other countries on the sidelines of the two global gatherings.

High on the agenda will be regional and global issues including the growing threats from the North's nuclear program.

"I will make an effort to raise the awareness of the gravity and urgency of the North's nuclear and missile threats among high ranking officials (from other countries)," Yun told Yonhap News Agency.

"It will be a chance to talk about the need to further strengthen the strongest-ever international cooperation effort against North Korea," he added. The diplomat said the gathering will afford him the chance to highlight his views on measures that can be jointly taken by countries and share ideas.

On the sidelines of the conference, Yun is expected to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson face-to-face for the first time since the American official's inauguration. He is also scheduled to meet with top diplomats from other countries including Japan.

On Saturday when the security forum is to start, the policymaker is to deliver a keynote speech at a special session dedicated to Korean issues. The so-called Korean Peninsula session is the first of its kind to be held since the forum was launched.

During his trip, Yun expected that he and other participants will discuss not just regional issues but also global challenges.

Meanwhile, apparently pointing to the North's recent ballistic missile test launch and the murder of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's half brother in Malaysia, the minister said participants will likely have a keen interest in Korea-related issues. (Yonhap)