Foreign Ministry Reaffirms Cautious Stance on North Korea's APEC Membership

At a press briefing following the APEC Vice-Ministerial Meeting held at the Seoul Press Center on the 24th, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding 'discussions on North Korea's APEC membership,' "Currently, our government has no position on this matter."

In a press release on the 23rd, the Ministry explained that the meaning was that if North Korea is willing to faithfully fulfill all its obligations as an APEC member state, the issue of membership could be reviewed through close consultations with member countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that in past discussions about North Korea's APEC membership qualification, North Korea at the time lacked the will to fulfill its obligations as a member state, and there was an aspect of hoping for exchanges within the framework of Northeast Asian economic cooperation by having both Koreas join APEC.