U.S. AND KAZAKHSTAN MAKE INITIAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CENTER AGREEMENT

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
United States and Kazakhstan Initial New International Science and Technology Center Agreement
Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation
June 24, 2015

UNITED STATES EMBASSY ASTANA

On June 22, in Astana, Kazakhstan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Nonproliferation Programs Simon Limage initialed on behalf of the United States the Agreement Continuing the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) along with the European Union, Georgia, Japan, the Kingdom of Norway, Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Republic of Korea.

The ISTC, with its new headquarters at Nazarbayev University in Astana, Kazakhstan, seeks to minimize incentives for scientists and engineers in states with technologies, expertise, and related materials applicable to WMD to engage in activities that could result in the proliferation of WMD or related materials by supporting and cooperating in research and development activities for peaceful purposes. The initialing of the agreement sets the stage for signing the agreement once all parties have completed their internal procedures.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Limage, as the US representative to the ISTC Governing Board, led a U.S. interagency delegation, which included technical experts from the Departments of State and Energy. In the course of the two day Governing Board meeting, significant decisions were made to streamline the ISTC, endorse plans to expand the organization to other regions, and enhance opportunities for scientific projects in new fields.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH STAFF AT SEOUL EMBASSY STAFF

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Meets with the Staff and Families of Embassy Seoul, U.S. Forces Korea, Republic of Korea Military Personnel, and Koreans Who Assisted Ambassador Lippert

Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Collier Field House, Yongsan Army Garrison
Seoul, South Korea
May 18, 2015

GEN SCAPARROTTI: (Applause.) Well, welcome. It’s my great pleasure to introduce our ambassador. He’s a seasoned diplomat, has a deep appreciation for Korea as a country and also this region. And he’s also a seasoned service member with experience down range and appreciates what we in the military do here every day to defend Korea. So if you’d give a warm welcome to our ambassador, Ambassador Mark Lippert, please. (Applause.)

AMBASSADOR LIPPERT: All right, thanks, everybody. I’m going to be – it’s just a great honor to be here, and thanks, General Scap – a great partner. We have one team, one fight here, so it’s a great, great partnership with the military. Just – I’ve been given the great pleasure of introducing our Secretary of State, Secretary Kerry, a man who literally needs no introduction, but just so people know: a person who served in the military honorably; the son of a Foreign Service officer; chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee; federal – or prosecutor; again, a welcome, a distinguished – please welcome a very distinguished, finest public servant, Secretary Kerry. Thanks. (Applause.)

SECRETARY KERRY: Wow, thank you very much. Thank you, guys, very much. We appreciate it. What a rousing welcome. It is great to be here. I’m honored to be here, delighted to be partially introduced by General Scap, Scaparrotti, and appreciate his leadership of U.S. forces in Korea. And for all of you guys in uniform, every single one of you, our friends who serve with us who host us here, we’re so grateful to all of you. I’m honored to be here today. Thank you very, very much. And kids, thank you for coming out. It’s really good to see you all. Appreciate it.

I’ll tell you, I served 28 full years in the United States Senate, and in the last couple of years politics began to change in America. And I was walking through the airport in Boston one day, and I kind of – you learn how to walk and not necessarily have somebody see you because you knew something would come up, some issue, something that mattered. And so this guy sort of shouts at me and says, “Hey, you! Hey, you, anybody ever tell you you look like that Kerry we sent down to Washington?” (Laughter.) And I said, “Yeah, they tell me that all the time.” He says, “Kind of makes you mad, don’t it?” (Laughter.) So that’s how bad politics has gotten back home. You guys aren’t missing anything, I’ll tell you.

I am really happy to be here. When President Obama came here, he talked about this being the frontier of freedom. And when you look at the events that are going on in the world today – I was just recently in Africa, and I was at AFRICOM in Djibouti. I met with a lot of your fellow service folks. And then I was in Somalia; I was the first Secretary of State to ever go to Mogadishu, and they wouldn’t let me off the base – it’s that dangerous still there. But the folks there are doing an amazing job. No matter where I go, anywhere in the world, I am privileged to see you in uniform and I want – I’ll come back to the State Department in a minute, but I want to speak to those of you in uniform.

The – I had the privilege – I know Mark also served. He was in the Navy. I served in the Navy. I was in the Brown Water Navy in Vietnam during the 1960s, late 1960s, so I’m not quite as old as – and I think back on that because I remember being there in Christmas of 1968 and feeling kind of distant from family and all the rest of it. So I have always had a deep, deep appreciation for what it means to put on the uniform of our country and to go serve. But I’ll tell you this: Today’s military, all of you, are so much better trained, so much better prepared, so much better equipped, and our military overall is so far ahead and away the finest fighting force, most capable entity on the face of this planet, and every single one of us in civilian life every day wake up and proudly say thank you to you for your service. We are deeply, deeply grateful for what you’re doing. You are on the frontier of freedom. And here particularly in this part of the world, as we see Kim Jong-un engaging in these extraordinary, provocative activities, building nuclear weapons against all of the UN conventions and everything that we’ve tried to prevent together with the Six-Party powers – Russia, China, Japan, et cetera – it’s dangerous. And nobody quite knows what a reckless person like this fellow will do, so you have to be prepared for every eventuality, which is why we redeployed some ships and forces and why we’re talking about THAAD and other things today.

But in the end, the greatest deterrence we have is really all of you and the capacity that the world knows you bring to the table. We’re fighting on so many fronts right now, it’s challenging. I talked to Henry Kissinger, the famous Henry Kissinger the other day. He’s 90-something now, and we were talking about Iran and Iran’s nuclear weapon and the deal we’re trying to negotiate. And I was – he was telling me about not flying around too much. And I said, “Well, you’re the guy who wrote the book on shuttle diplomacy and moved around.” He said, “No, no, no.” He said, “I had one or two things to deal with. You guys are dealing with Afghanistan and Pakistan and North Korea and Syria and Libya and Yemen, Iraq – everything simultaneously.” And we have this unbelievable set of non-state actors. During the Cold War, we were dealing with states. Now we have these non-state actors, and it’s a whole different challenge. And it’s going to go on for a while.

But I’ll tell you this, from what I’ve seen of what we’re doing in Iraq today as we’re pushing ISIL back – and we will push them out of Iraq ultimately, and we’re putting together the plans to be able to know exactly how we’re going to deal with Syria. In the end, there’s nothing to negotiate. There’s no way to deal with these people except eliminate them from the field of battle, and that is exactly what we are going to do over time. So I thank you for all you do. (Applause.)

Now, we are very privileged, as you all know, in this diplomatic room we’re in today. There’s not a lot of separation between the military and diplomats anymore. I was in Kunar province, in Afghanistan. How many of you served in Afghanistan? Well, I got up there – thank you for that service, and we are trying very hard to make sure that transition follows through and honors your service and the sacrifice that was made there. But I’ll tell you, when I was up in Kunar province a couple years ago, a few years ago, before I became Secretary, I met a young Navy commander who was the head of the FOB up there, forward operating base, and I was briefed by him. And it was really one of the best briefings I’ve ever had in all of my public life. This guy knew every tribe. He knew every leader. He knew what the rivalries were between them – how long and when. He knew the governor. He knew the mayor. He was a mayor himself fundamentally, but he was also a psychologist, a teacher, a planner, a city planner. It’s the most incredible demand on skill set.

And Bob Gates, our former Secretary of Defense, said many times that he thought a whole bunch of what used to happen in the State Department had been shifted over to the Department of Defense. And now it’s sort of seamless. There’s a kind of integration. So we’re all in the same business, folks. We’re trying to get people to understand that life can offer better alternatives than a lot of folks opt for. And we believe in peace and stability and freedom and democracy. I just came from talking about the internet and the freedom it brings to people. And Korea is a great partner in all of that.

But we are privileged, alongside you, to have a group of diplomats made up of local staff – I want all the local staff to raise your hands, everybody who’s a local hire here in South Korea, in Seoul. We have any number of them? Yeah, we’ve got a few here. There we are. Thank you very much, because we can’t do our work without you and we very much appreciate what you do. But I also thank the 200-plus direct hires, all the family members who are part of this effort. Regrettably, as we learned recently with the vicious assault on our ambassador, everybody has a risk and we’re all bearing those risks wherever we are in the world. It’s a dangerous place.

So I’m very, very grateful to every member of the Foreign Service, whether you’re local hire or a civil servant or FSO or TDY or a political appointee or you’re here with another department of our government. A profound thank you to all of you who make our embassy work. We’re very, very grateful to you.

And what we are doing is connected to what every other embassy and every other person in military is doing anywhere else in the world. These are not a series of ink blots somewhere spread around. It’s all connected. It’s all about the security of our country, it’s about protecting our interests and projecting our values, and helping to bring peace and stability because everywhere today, the world is so interconnected, nobody has a way to just isolate themselves and pretend you can get by without being connected to what’s happening in some other part of the world. That’s the world we live in today and that’s the world our kids are going to grow up in and manage, and we need to leave this place in better shape for them than we found it. That’s our obligation.

So to every single one – first of all, to Mark Lippert I want to say, and to Robyn, what a great job they are doing here. Mark showed indomitable spirit in the attack that he suffered and in just showing up for work and never meeting a beat. I talked to him in the hospital a couple of times. I was amazed by how calm and ready to get back to work and understanding he was. And I think every one of us here is grateful for his leadership and respects his courage and determination. And Mark, thank you for the job you’re doing. (Applause.)

I knew Mark when he worked in the Senate. He worked for a couple of other senator colleagues of mine. But I really like him, not just because he’s a Navy guy, but he brought a dog over here. He brought his Basset Hound here called Grigsby, and I’m told Grigsby – I have a dog; it’s called the State Department “DiploMutt” – (laughter) – and I’m really appreciative that he’s following in that tradition. Though I understand his dog speaks Korean, mine is still learning “sit, stay, come,” basics. (Laughter.) But we’ll get there one day.

Anyway, I don’t want to tell you all up. I want to have a chance to shake some hands and say hello to everybody. But believe me, in a complicated world, at a difficult time with a lot on everybody’s plate, it just could not be more reassuring, it could not be more heartwarming to know we got folks like all of you doing the job to carry the banner for the United States of America. A lot of people do not get to get up in the morning and go to work and be able to get the reward that everybody here gets for helping to make your country safer and helping to bring a better life to a lot of other people.

So God bless you all. Thank you. Love you and what you do and everything else, and stay at it. Your country is so grateful, and President Obama sends his very, very best to everybody. Thank you all very, very much. (Applause.)

U.S. ASSISTS KOREA IN RECOVERING MILLIONS FROM FORMER PRESIDENT HWAN

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
United States Assists Korean Authorities in Recovering Over $28.7 Million In Corruption Proceeds of Former President of the Republic of Korea

The Department of Justice has reached a settlement of its civil forfeiture cases against $1.2 million in assets in the United States traceable to corruption proceeds accumulated by Chun Doo Hwan, the former president of the Republic of Korea.  The department also assisted the government of the Republic of Korea in recovering an additional $27.5 million in satisfaction of an outstanding criminal restitution order against former President Chun.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Director Sarah R. Saldaña of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)­­ and Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office made the announcement after the settlement was signed and papers requesting that the court execute the agreement were filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“Chun Doo Hwan’s campaign of corruption and bribery while serving as Korea’s president betrayed the trust of the Korean people, deprived Korea’s government of precious resources and undermined the rule of law,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.  “Fighting corruption is a global imperative that demands a coordinated global response.  The close cooperation between the United States and Korea in successfully recovering corruption proceeds stands as a testament to our resolve to battle the scourge of corruption through international collaboration.”      

“Former Korean President Chun violated the trust of the people of Korea,” said Director Saldaña.  “The results in this case reflect the outstanding international cooperation that exists between U.S. law enforcement and the government of Korea.”

"The U.S. will not idly standby and serve as a money laundering haven for foreign officials to hide corrupt activities,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich.  “The FBI will continue to collaborate with our foreign partners by leveraging its resources in order to identify those engaged in foreign corruption and to recover their ill-gotten gains.”

According to court documents, President Chun was convicted in Korea in 1997 of receiving more than $200 million in bribes from Korean businesses and companies.  President Chun and his relatives laundered some of these corruption proceeds through a web of nominees, trusts and shell companies in both Korea and the United States.

Under the terms of the U.S. settlement, $1,116,951.45 in assets will be forfeited to the United States.  During the joint U.S.-Korean investigation, approximately $27.5 million in additional funds were paid by an associate of former President Chun to the Korean government to partially settle the judgment entered against former President Chun upon his criminal conviction.  Including the settlement announced today, the U.S. and Korean authorities have recovered more than $28.7 million in connection with Korea’s investigation and prosecution of former President Chun.  

The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI’s West Covina Resident Agency of the Los Angeles Division, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Philadelphia Office, HSI's Attaché in Seoul, South Korea and the FBI Kleptocracy Program of the International Corruption Unit within the Criminal Investigation Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Woo S. Lee and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katharine Schonbachler and Steven R. Welk of the Central District of California, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Minni and Alvin Stout of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial support.

The department is grateful for the significant assistance provided by the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutor’s Office, Korea’s Supreme Prosecutor’s Office - Anti-Corruption Supervisory Division and the Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Affairs Division in investigating and forfeiting these corruption proceeds.

This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, working in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, return those proceeds to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH KOREA FOREIGN MINISTER BYUNG-SE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se After Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

October 24, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning. I want to start by welcoming my friend and my colleague, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, back to Washington, who is here along with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo. We had a very productive what we call 2+2 meeting this morning – it is the third such dialogue that we have conducted – during which Secretary Hagel and I restated the degree to which we are deeply committed to building on today’s discussions and reinforcing the very close partnership that we have with the Republic of Korea.

It is safe to say – and everybody reiterated this today – that the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance is stronger than ever. And thanks to the agreement that Defense Minister Han and Secretary Hagel signed yesterday, it’s about to become even stronger. This new agreement is going to serve as a blueprint for how and when South Korea will assume wartime operational control of the combined forces. And the goal of the agreement is to ensure that as South Korea continues to build up its own defense capabilities, our combined forces will be ready and able to provide the best possible defenses for the Korean people.

Our shared security is at the heart of the U.S.-ROK alliance. But ultimately, I want to make it clear that our alliance is about much more than that. It is the linchpin of security, stability, and prosperity in Northeast Asia and increasingly beyond there. Today, for instance, we discussed a number of important issues where our partnership is not only valuable, but it’s really essential.

Obviously, at the top of the list is the subject of North Korea. Secretary Hagel and I reiterated that the United States remains committed to a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through authentic and credible negotiations. We remain open to dialogue with North Korea, but there is no value in talks just for the sake of talks. North Korea must demonstrate that it is serious about denuclearization, and we need to be certain that it is prepared to live up to its international obligations and abide by international norms of behavior. In the meantime, we will remain vigilant against the clear threat that North Korea poses.

We also spent time today discussing our shared efforts on a number of other issues. We all understand that infectious disease in Africa, extremism in the Middle East, and territorial aggression in Eastern Europe pose threats that extend far beyond those regions. And both South Korea and the United States believe that our alliance will not only deepen our – not only deepen as we continue to step up our efforts to address those threats, and we will do so because we share a sense of responsibility about international leadership and the importance of these challenges to the norms of international behavior.

We were very grateful to hear from both Foreign Minister Yun and from Defense Minister Han that South Korea intends to continue cooperating closely with us in regard to these international efforts, and in fact wants to step up its efforts in a number of regards.

For example, we are very pleased that South Korea has announced that it will send additional healthcare experts to assist the international response in West Africa on top of the experts and supplies that it has already sent. And last month, as part of the global response to ISIL, South Korea contributed another $4 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq, bringing its total contributions today to more than 5.2 million.

The Republic of Korea has emerged as a key global player dedicated, as the United States is, to universal values like human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. And as we discussed today, I pointed out it was only a few years ago that the Republic of South Korea was a recipient of aid; but because of its own ingenuity and its own commitment to growth and development and stability and democracy, now the Republic of Korea is itself a donor country assuming increasing responsibilities willfully and effectively on a global basis. And we welcome that and we’re grateful for it.

I mentioned that our alliance has, in fact, never been stronger. But given the staggering range of challenges that we face today, neither has it been more important. And with the help of our new ambassador to South Korea, Mark Lippert, who I will have the privilege of swearing in later today, we look forward to continuing our work with our South Korean allies and with our friends for many years to come.

Minister Yun, I’m delighted to turn the floor to you.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. (Via interpreter) First, I’d like to thank Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel for hosting the 2+2 meeting in Washington today. This year, the 2+2 meetings have been held for the third time from 2010 to 2012, and this is the first one since the Park Geun-hye administration. In 2010, we had focused on our response to North Korean aggressions. Today, we were able to focus on our alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula, on global issues as well. This demonstrates that the Korea-U.S. alliance has gone beyond serving as a linchpin for peace and stability on – in Asia-Pacific region. It is now a global partnership.

Through two summit meetings since the Park Geun-hye administration, we have been able to establish the fact that our relationship is the best ever since 1953. It is the strongest alliance in the world as well. I believe that this is based on mutual trust as well as continuous development at an adaptation of our relationship. Today, we were able to discuss various issues ranging from our alliance management as well as North Korean nuclear issues and other global issues as well.

In today’s meeting, we were able to express elation about the progress we’ve made within the last one and a half years, and we were able to reach a successful agreement on the defense cost-sharing special session last year. And yesterday, we were able to reach agreements on conditions-based OPCON transfer as well. Currently, Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement is likely to come to a successful conclusion. If that happens, we will have had the most successful agreements on most of our major issues.

On the other hand, there are other areas on which we need to see cooperation – cyber security as well as space projects – and I think our efforts are moving beyond these forces and into the new horizon. Recently, North Korean nuclear missile threats as well as other challenges have reinforced the fact that the combined defense readiness between Korea and U.S. will be the most effective in deterring aggression from North Korea and promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. And the unpredictability and the fluidity of the situation in Korea help us agree that we need a comprehensive, multidimensional response.

And I believe that denuclearization, human rights in North Korea, as well as a conducive environment for unification is the holistic approach that we also need to focus on. And to that end, we have to create more creative ideas on how to bring this about. We need to be able to ensure a safe life to North Koreans and bring about real human rights compliance in the country. By doing that, we’ll be able to create an environment conducive to unification, and I believe denuclearization will act as the engine in bringing this about.

Historical, territorial, and maritime issues have threatened Northeast Asia’s security environment. Since the Cold War has ended, this has been the most tense situation in the Northeast Asian region. Based on the Korea-U.S. alliance, we’ll be able to create an environment that will be able to create real solutions to these issues. In particular, the rebalancing of the Asia-Pacific region is going to contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

Finally, our alliance has moved beyond just the Korean Peninsula. We are very happy to announce that our alliance is contributing to resolving global issues. We are happy to report that we are collaborating on stopping the spread of the Ebola virus as well as other global issues. We will be sending more aid toward that area and considering this more than a health issue, but a serious issue to security in the world.

On another front, we are fighting ISIL and foreign terrorist fighters, and to that end we agree to the UN resolution and look forward to a thorough implementation. And since the joint statement on the 60th anniversary of the alliance, through these meetings we were able to add substance and detail to the vision and roadmap of the Korea-U.S. relationship. And I hope that, based on mutual trust, we’ll be able to improve on the already good relationship between the two.

Minister Han and I look forward to be able to reciprocate the warm hospitality to Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel on their next visit to Korea. Thank you.

MODERATOR: From Abigail Williams with NBC News.

QUESTION: First, Foreign Minister Yun, is it true that North Korea has closed its border citing Ebola fears?

And to Secretary Kerry, if true, how will this and the recent release of American Jeffrey Fowle impact negotiations over the release of the other two detained Americans? What does this – and what does this signal about internal politics in North Korea given Kim Jong-un’s 40-day absence?

Also, are you in a position to confirm reports --

SECRETARY KERRY: I’m sorry.

QUESTION: Sorry, one more. Are you --

SECRETARY KERRY: I hate to do this to you, but can you repeat the first part of your question? Because it got swallowed up. I couldn’t hear it.

QUESTION: Sure.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: From the beginning, yes.

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah. From the beginning.

QUESTION: Okay. If true that North Korea has closed its borders citing Ebola fears, how will this and the recent release of American Jeffrey Fowle impact negotiations over the release of the other two detained Americans, and what does this signal about internal politics given Kim Jong-un’s 40-day absence?

Also, are you in a position to confirm reports that IS militants have used chlorine gas on Iraqi troops, and how will this change U.S. strategy?

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: (Via interpreter) In recent months, North Korea has shown very unique behaviors. On the one hand, it is using continuous aggression, but on the other hand, they’re looking for dialogue. In the past few weeks, North Korea has launched aggressions on the DMZ as well as on maritime fronts, and they have fired at some of the flyers that were sprinkled in balloons. Just one month ago during the Asian games, high-level officials, however, visited Korea, and they proposed a high-level talk. So what they speak and what they do seem to be inconsistent. But for the second high-level meetings that we proposed, if North Korea accepts and if we are able to have the talks, then I believe we can find a path to improvement of relationship for peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as an environment conducive to unification. We are making various efforts to try and provide that kind of an environment.

SECRETARY KERRY: I can’t tell you how their decision will or won’t affect anything with respect to the other Americans who are being held. They have made some statements about their expectations of what the United States should do with respect to that. We’ve made it clear that no apology or other statement is in the offing. They need to release these people because they’re being held inappropriately. And our hope is that they will recognize the goodwill that could be built and the gesture that it would offer to the world of their willingness to try to open up a different diplomatic track. So our hope is for the humanitarian reason alone that they will behave differently and see fit to release these people. We’re grateful that Jeff Fowle was released, back in Ohio now. We’re delighted with that. But we are still deeply concerned about the other two Americans who are being held.

With respect to the chlorine, you asked me am I in a position to confirm it, and the answer is no. I am not in a position to confirm it, but I can tell you that we take these allegations very, very seriously, in particular, the most recent allegations about the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon. Chlorine by itself is not on the chemical weapons list, therefore it was not among those things removed under the agreement we reached with the Russians and the Syrians’ regime.

But when mixed in certain ways and used in certain ways, it can become a chemical weapon that is prohibited under the chemical weapons agreement. And therefore these allegations are extremely serious and we are seeking additional information in order to be able to determine whether or not we can confirm it. The use of any chemical weapon is an abhorrent act. It’s against international law, and these recent allegations underscore the importance of the work that we are currently engaged in. It will not change our strategy. It obviously can affect tactical decisions within that strategy, but our fundamental strategy remains absolutely clear and we are step by step bringing the coalition further and further down the road to being able to shore up the Iraqi army itself and to take measures against ISIL.

We’ve said in the beginning this will take time. And it will evolve, as it is, day by day as General Allen and our teams are working to come together; important meetings have been held during the course of this past week; and I expect to see further progress over the course of the next weeks.

MS. PSAKI: The final question will be from Shim of Yonhap News.

QUESTION: Okay, my name is In Sung Shim from the Yonhap News Agency in Korea. I have a question to you, the first to --

(Via interpreter) North-South Korea relations are improving and U.S. alliances stronger. I believe the Six-Party Talks is most important in continuing this trend, so I would like to ask for your opinion on that and --

The U.S. prepared to reduce its military presence in Asia if North Korea rejoining – if rejoin nuclear negotiation. Can you be more specific what it means – (inaudible) --

And one more last question. Can --

SECRETARY KERRY: What was the second part?

QUESTION: Second, do you have any plan to talk or negotiate with North Korea about that?

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Yeah. Nuclear negotiation. And then one more last question is: Can you visit North Korea and to meet North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, if they release two – I mean two – the other detainee – American detainee?

SECRETARY KERRY: Can we what?

QUESTION: Can you go – I mean, can you visit --

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, can I visit? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Yes. Can you visit North Korea and to meet North Korea leader Kim Jong-un if they release the other two American detainee? Okay, thanks.

SECRETARY KERRY: Do you know something about an invitation that I – (laughter) --

Go ahead.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Should I first?

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Okay.

(Via interpreter) On the prospects of the Six-Party Talks, the North Korean nuclear development, as well as its efforts toward economic development, these have to be given up. As stated in our joint statement, we need to have a clear stance on their nuclear policy, North Korea’s denuclearization, and a halt to the sophistication of its nuclear weapons. All of these have to be real. It has to lead to real solutions. To that end, between Korea and U.S. and between Korea, U.S., and China, we have had many talks with the governments. We have had many talks. And Secretary Kerry has also recently reiterated that in order to advance these – a resolution to these issues, we need to be able to generate more creative ideas. So we will have more consultations on that.

SECRETARY KERRY: So let me make it absolutely clear that the mere entering into talks is not an invitation to take any actions regarding troops or anything else at this point. It would be way too premature to have any thought or even discussion about such a thing. The only purpose of entering the talks is to come to an understanding regarding, first, the denuclearization, and then following the denuclearization, obviously, whatever relationship might be appropriate. But it is entirely premature to be talking about any troop reductions or anything else at this point in time, as it is also premature to have any thoughts about visits at this point in time.

The first thing you have to do is come to a competent, real, authentic set of talks about denuclearization, and that is the prerequisite to any other possibilities thereafter.

MS. PSAKI: Thank you, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much, appreciate it.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you, sir.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS TO PLENIPOTENTIARY CONFERENCE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

U.S. Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union Plenipotentiary Conference in Busan, Republic of Korea

Press Statement

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

October 16, 2014

In today’s world everyone is connected. With the touch of a button – or the swipe of a finger – we can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime, about anything. And we can do it instantly. The communications revolution has radically changed how we live our lives, do business, choose our leaders, provide health care, and interact with other cultures.

Almost 150 years after its creation, the International Telecommunication Union remains critical to overseeing and advancing the extent and the efficiency of international communications. The Republic of Korea will host the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2014 in Busan from October 20 to November 7. This international gathering is an important opportunity for ITU Member States to review the work of the Union and prioritize programs, improve working methods, and increase collaboration with other institutions.

The U.S. delegation to Busan will be led by Ambassador Daniel Sepulveda and consist of nearly 130 government, private sector, and civil society representatives. They will work with our partners to ensure that the ITU is transparent and accountable, while remaining responsive to the evolution of technology. As the fast paced march of innovation continues, it is essential we meet the needs of all telecommunications users, especially those from underserved communities.

Telecommunications connect our societies, create shared prosperity, and facilitate the exchange of goods and services, as well as thoughts and ideas. We look forward to working with our friends and allies to ensure that the ITU continues to be a hub for open and broad-based global communications.

SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS IN NORTH KOREA

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks at Event on Human Rights in the D.P.R.K.

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Waldorf-Astoria

New York City, DC

September 23, 2014

Thank you very much, Ambassador King, and I want to thank Assistant Secretary Tom Malinowski for bringing us together today with Danny Russel. And I’m particularly grateful to our fellow ministers and diplomatic corps for being here today, and particularly grateful to my colleagues, the Foreign Minister of Japan, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, for being here to share in this, and Prince Zeid also, whose leadership is so important on it.

We are here today to really confront some of the most urgent issues of conscience, and policymaking is often marked by complicated decisions, by close calls. But some things remain crystal clear: Barbarity, inhumanity – I think you can call it evil – we all recognize still exist. And in the challenges that we’re facing in the Middle East right now, that has been underscored in the last days. We simply cannot be blind to these egregious affronts to human nature and we cannot accept it, and silence would be the greatest abuse of all.

What goes on inside North Korea – systematic repression, collective punishment, arbitrary execution, penal colonies, prison camps – these abuses are actually unfathomable to nearly the entire world, and they should have no place in the 21st century. North Korea’s leadership may act as if it is impervious to our concern, as if nothing that we say can penetrate its self-imposed isolation. And yet on some level, North Korea’s leaders do understand that their behavior brings shame upon their country in the eyes of the world. Why else would Pyongyang go to such extraordinary lengths to keep their prison camps secret? Why else would they refuse to allow access to the Red Cross, the UN, and the international NGOs, or dismiss out of hand horrific accounts provided by defectors as mere propaganda?

Well, in many ways now, the veil has been truly lifted. No longer can North Korea’s secrecy be seen as an excuse for silence or ignorance or inaction, because in 400 pages of excruciating detail and testimony from over 80 witnesses, the UN Commission of Inquiry’s report on the DPRK has laid bare what it rightly calls systematic, widespread, and grave violations of human rights. Thousands upon thousands of North Korea’s citizens are being robbed of their dignity and stripped of their humanity in penal colonies, if they are lucky enough to survive at all. Torture and forced abortions are routine. And the sentencing of Americans to labor camps without a trial – a fair trial – is as unjust as it is reprehensible.

So today, many nations come together with one voice. To the tens of thousands who are suffering in Yodok, Hwasong, Kaechon, and in prison camps across North Korea, we say, “You may be hidden, but we can see you. We know you’re there. Your captors can silence your voice and assault your dignity, but they cannot deny your basic humanity.” And we have someone with us today who you will meet shortly whose life story proves that to be true.

We should all ask ourselves if we who are free, we who have the extraordinary privilege of coming together in a way like this today, if we don’t stand with men and women suffering in anonymity in places like North Korea, then what do we stand for? And if we don’t give voice to the voiceless, then why even bother to speak about these issues?

So we say to the North Korean Government, all of us here today: You should close those camps. You should shut this evil system down. As the Commission of Inquiry report concludes, “The gravity, scale, and nature of these violations reveal a state that does not have any parallel in the contemporary world.” And the commission makes a set of clear recommendations to the DPRK Government. Some are as simple as acknowledging its abuses and holding those responsible to account. Others involve reforming the basic institutions of society.

The United States looks forward to working with the European Union, Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and other nations on a strong UN resolution that carries these recommendations forward. And I want to thank High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid and former Justice of the High Court of Australia Mr. Michael Kirby, who chaired the commission. Let me also recognize the extraordinary work of the Australian Government. My friend, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who is here, for helping to ensure the UN report gets the attention that it deserves.

And finally, I want to thank my counterpart from the Republic of Korea, Minister Yun Byung-se, for his country’s commitment to host a High Commission Field Office that will serve as our eyes and ears to North Korea’s injustice. And of course, I thank the Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida for lending his strong, important voice to this cause.

But most of all, I want to thank Shin Dong-hyuk for being here with us today. Shin was born in a North Korean prison camp. At a young age, Shin was forced to watch executions, to eat frogs and rodents to survive, and to endure having part of a finger cut off as a punishment. He spent the first 23 years of his life living this way. And by recounting his experiences of brutality and humanity, he makes witnesses of us all.

But Shin is far more than a survivor of unconscionable cruelty. In his escape from such remarkable evil, from a nightmare that few of us could even imagine, he is also a source of inspiration and hope. There is no easy solution to this challenge, but none of us have a right to lose hope because the people in those camps don’t. We must stay persistent in standing up for our most fundamental values whenever and wherever they are threatened. That is the only way we can achieve the transformation that is imperative.

Shin, thank you for bearing witness to that truth and for being here with us today, and we look forward to hearing your comments. Thank you. (Applause.)

U.S. SEIZES $500,000 IN ASSETS RELATED TO CORRUPTION BY FORMER REPUBLIC OF KOREA PRESIDENT CHUN

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Justice Department Seizes an Additional $500,000 in Corrupt Assets Tied to Former President of Republic of Korea

The Department of Justice has seized approximately $500,000 in assets traceable to corruption proceeds accumulated by Chun Doo Hwan, the former president of the Republic of Korea.   This seizure brings the total value of seized corruption proceeds of President Chun to more than $1.2 million.

Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Executive Associate Director Peter T. Edge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)­­ and Assistant Director Joseph S. Campbell of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement after the seizure warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania was unsealed today.

“Chun Doo Hwan orchestrated a vast campaign of corruption while serving as Korea’s president,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell.   “President Chun amassed more than $200 million in bribes while in office, and he and his relatives systematically laundered these funds through a complex web of transactions in the United States and Korea.   Today’s seizure underscores how the Criminal Division’s Kleptocracy Initiative – working in close collaboration with our law enforcement partners across the globe – will use every available means to deny corrupt foreign officials and their relatives safe haven for their assets in the United States.”

“Our country will not be used by corrupt foreign leaders to conceal the illicit profits of their crimes,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Edge.   “We will continue to work with our international law enforcement partners to ensure that such individuals are held accountable and that the assets are returned to their rightful owners.”

“The U.S. will not be a safe repository for assets misappropriated by corrupt foreign leaders,” said FBI Assistant Director Campbell.  “The FBI is committed to working with foreign and domestic partners to identify and return those assets to the legitimate owners, in this case the people of the Republic of Korea.”

The court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania late yesterday unsealed an application filed on Aug. 22, 2014, by the Justice Department to seize an investment by former President Chun’s daughter-in-law in a Pennsylvania limited partnership worth approximately $500,000.  In February 2014, the department obtained a court order from the Central District of California seizing $726,000 in proceeds from the sale of a residence located in Newport Beach, California, that President Chun’s son, Chun Jae Yong, purchased in 2005 with proceeds allegedly traceable to his father’s corruption.  

As alleged in the government’s application for a seizure warrant and supporting affidavit, President Chun was convicted in Korea in 1997 of receiving more than $200 million in bribes from Korean businesses and companies.  President Chun and his relatives laundered some of these corruption proceeds through a web of nominees and shell companies in both Korea and the United States.

The United States is working closely with the Republic of Korea’s Supreme Prosecutor’s Office—Anti-Corruption Supervisory Division, the Ministry of Justice’s International Criminal Affairs Division and the Seoul Central District Public Prosecutor’s Foreign Criminal Affairs Department to forfeit these corruption proceeds.  

This case was brought under the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative by a team of dedicated prosecutors in the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, working in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption and, where appropriate, return those proceeds to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.  Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to kleptocracy@usdoj.gov .

The investigation was conducted jointly by HSI Philadelphia, HSI Attaché Seoul, the FBI Kleptocracy Program of the International Corruption Unit within the Criminal Investigation Division, and the FBI’s West Covina Resident Agency of the Los Angeles Division.  The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Woo S. Lee and Della Sentilles of the Criminal Division’s Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, with substantial support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs.

U.S.-JAPAN JOINT STATEMENT ON ASIA-PACIFIC FUTURE

FROM:  THE WHITE HOUSE 

U.S.-Japan Joint Statement: The United States and Japan: Shaping the Future of the Asia-Pacific and Beyond

The relationship between the United States of America and Japan is founded on mutual trust, a common vision for a rules-based international order, a shared commitment to upholding democratic values and promoting open markets, and deep cultural and people-to-people ties. The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone for regional peace and security as well as a platform for global cooperation.  The U.S. rebalance to the Asia-Pacific and Japan’s policy of “Proactive Contribution to Peace” based on the principle of international cooperation both contribute to the Alliance playing a leading role in ensuring a peaceful and prosperous Asia-Pacific.  

Close U.S.-Japan cooperation is essential in managing and responding to long-standing and emerging threats and challenges in Asia and around the world.  Recent events underscore the importance of coordinated action to uphold regional and global rules and norms.  At the March 25 Trilateral Summit in The Hague, the leaders of the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea urged North Korea to take concrete actions to meet its international obligations on nuclear and missile issues and to address, without delay, humanitarian concerns, including the abductions issue.  In concert with our G-7 partners, the United States and Japan have condemned Russia over its illegal attempt to annex Crimea and are consulting closely on further measures against Russia over its deplorable conduct, while strongly urging Russia to deescalate tensions in Ukraine.  Together, we are taking concrete steps to support Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and economic stability.  The United States and Japan are working collaboratively to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, support Middle East peace efforts, contribute to Afghan reconstruction, and improve the situation in Syria, including through the disposal of its chemical stockpiles.  The United States and Japan recognize that China can play an important role in addressing all of these challenges, and both countries reaffirm their interest in building a productive and constructive relationship with China. 

The United States and Japan, as maritime nations with global trade networks that depend on open seas, underscore the importance of maintaining a maritime order based upon respect for international law, including the freedom of navigation and overflight.  The United States and Japan share strong concern over recent actions that have raised tensions in the East China Sea and South China Sea, such as the uncoordinated declaration of an Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea.  Our two countries oppose any attempt to assert territorial or maritime claims through the use of intimidation, coercion or force.  The United States and Japan urge the establishment of confidence-building measures among governments and militaries in the region to address these tensions.  In the South China Sea, we call on countries concerned to clarify the basis of their maritime claims in accordance with international law.  We support efforts for the early establishment of an effective Code of Conduct as a way to reduce the risk of an unintended incident.  The United States and Japan fully support the use of diplomatic and legal means, including international arbitration, to settle maritime disputes in the South China Sea. 

Given the common security challenges our two countries face, the United States and Japan are strengthening and modernizing our security alliance as directed by the Security Consultative Committee, including through the revision of the Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation.  The United States has deployed its most advanced military assets to Japan and provides all necessary capabilities to meet its commitments under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.  These commitments extend to all the territories under the administration of Japan, including the Senkaku Islands.  In that context, the United States opposes any unilateral action that seeks to undermine Japan’s administration of the Senkaku Islands. The United States appreciates Japan’s establishment of a National Security Council and creation of a legal framework for information security that will facilitate enhanced policy and intelligence coordination between the two countries.  The United States welcomes and supports Japan’s consideration of the matter of exercising the right of collective self-defense.  The United States and Japan reaffirmed the importance of the U.S. extended deterrence to maintain regional security.  The United States and Japan are also making sustained progress towards realizing a geographically distributed, operationally resilient and politically sustainable U.S. force posture in the Asia Pacific, including the development of Guam as a strategic hub.  The early relocation of Futenma Marine Corps Air Station to Camp Schwab and consolidation of bases in Okinawa will ensure a long-term sustainable presence for U.S. forces.  In this context, we reaffirm our commitment to reducing the impact of U.S. forces on Okinawa. 

The United States and Japan also coordinate closely in multilateral financial and economic fora to advance trade liberalization and promote economic growth.  Our joint efforts are grounded in support for an international economic system that is free, open, and transparent, and embraces innovation.  In order to further enhance economic growth, expand regional trade and investment, and strengthen the rules-based trading system, the United States and Japan are committed to taking the bold steps necessary to complete a high-standard, ambitious, comprehensive  Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.  Today, we have identified a path forward on important bilateral TPP issues. This marks a key milestone in the TPP negotiations and will inject fresh momentum into the broader talks. We now call upon all TPP partners to move as soon as possible to take the necessary steps to conclude the agreement.  Even with this step forward, there is still much work to be done to conclude TPP.

We also support Japan’s Chairmanship in the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of its accession to the OECD and support China’s hosting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and Australia’s hosting of the G20 this year.  We are working together in the APEC and the G20 on the promotion of the role of women, which is an important domestic and foreign policy priority for both countries.  Through the Equal Futures Partnership and upcoming events such as the White House Summit on Working Families and Japan’s international symposium on women’s empowerment, the two countries are committed to ensuring women’s full participation in society.  Furthermore, the United States and Japan continue to be world leaders in high-technology, where our collaboration is expanding the frontiers of robotics, space, and medical science. 

The United States and Japan view energy security as vital to prosperity and stability.  Both sides welcomed the prospect of U.S. LNG exports in the future since additional global supplies will benefit Japan and other strategic partners.  The United States welcomed Japan’s new Strategic Energy Plan, which includes global, peaceful and safe use of nuclear energy and acceleration of the introduction of renewable energy.  Both countries are working together to promote the development of clean energy, including by facilitating business cooperation and deepening civil nuclear cooperation.  These steps are part of a broader effort to address the urgent challenge of global climate change.  Both countries plan to put forward robust post-2020 nationally determined contributions, building on decisions taken at the 19^th Conference of the Parties (COP-19) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in order to promote the adoption of a protocol, another legal instrument, or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC applicable to all Parties at COP-21 in Paris in December 2015.  We will continue to work with other countries on complementary initiatives to encourage reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. 

The United States and Japan are committed to promoting peace, stability, and economic growth throughout the world, including in Africa.  Through our recently launched senior-level U.S.-Japan Development Dialogue, we are expanding our development cooperation in these areas.  Furthermore, the United States and Japan are continuing bilateral policy coordination to address other global challenges and promote our common agenda, such as women’s empowerment, human security, humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction, the post-2015 development agenda, global health, climate change, counter-terrorism and transnational organized crime, cyber policy, the goal of a world without nuclear weapons, nuclear security, and cooperation at the United Nations, including in peacekeeping.  The United States looks forward to a reformed UN Security Council that includes Japan as a permanent member.  Our two countries are continuing to cooperate in the field of disaster risk management based on the experience of the Great East Japan Earthquake. 

The United States and Japan renew our commitment to deepening diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), recognizing the importance of ASEAN unity and centrality to regional security and prosperity.  We are coordinating closely to support ASEAN and its affiliated fora as its members seek to build a regional economic community and address trans-border challenges, including cybersecurity and cybercrime.  In this context, the two countries view the East Asia Summit as the premier political and security forum in the region.  We support the Asian Development Bank work to address the region’s infrastructure and connectivity needs.  The United States and Japan are collaborating to assist Southeast Asian littoral states in building maritime domain awareness and other capacities for maritime safety and security so that they can better enforce law, combat illicit trafficking and weapons proliferation, and protect marine resources.  The robust U.S. and Japanese civilian and military response to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines demonstrated our ability to collectively assist the region in disaster relief and risk reduction. 

To achieve our shared objectives of promoting peace and economic prosperity in the Asia-Pacific and around the globe, the United States and Japan are strengthening trilateral cooperation with like-minded partners, including the Republic of Korea, Australia, and India. 

The United States and Japan reaffirm our long-standing and indispensable partnership in shaping the future of the Asia-Pacific and beyond through close cooperation and collaboration.

ANNEX:  Leaders Statement on U.S.-Japan Bilateral Exchanges

# # #

  ANNEX:  Leaders Statement on U.S.-Japan Bilateral Exchanges

 Broad people-to-people exchange between Japan and the United States has been a key pillar of our Alliance since its inception.  Close ties and shared values between the people of the United States and the people of Japan form the foundation of the global partnership between our nations.

To ensure the future strength of the U.S.-Japan relationship, the two governments share the goal, established by the U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON), of doubling two-way student exchange by the year 2020.

Recognizing that people-to-people exchange is an irreplaceable investment in the future of the Alliance, President Obama and Prime Minister Abe announced their intent to create a new bilateral exchange program that would enable Japanese youth to visit the United States, enhance their English language abilities, and develop professional skills through internship opportunities.  The leaders also intend to explore internship opportunities for U.S. youth in Japan.  

Furthermore, Japan is going to send 6,000 Japanese students to the United States in fiscal year 2014 through student exchange support programs, including public-private partnerships such as the TOBITATE! Young Ambassador Program, further contributing to reaching our shared goal established by CULCON.  Japan and the United States also plan to explore new avenues for exchange, including support for Japanese researchers and programs linking the next generation of Japanese and U.S. leaders and friends. 

The Japanese government’s program inviting Japanese-American leaders to Japan has promoted broad understanding and support for the U.S.-Japan Alliance.  Building on this successful effort, Japan intends to broaden the scope of this initiative in fiscal year 2014 to further deepen mutual understanding. 

The Japanese government’s ongoing KAKEHASHI Project, under which a total of 4,600 young Japanese and U.S. citizens are expected to visit each other’s countries in exchange programs, has made a significant contribution to fostering mutual understanding.  In addition, following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the U.S. government and the U.S.-Japan Council launched the TOMODACHI Initiative, a path-breaking public-private partnership that engages the private sector in promoting U.S.-Japan youth exchange.  To date, with the support of over eighty U.S. and Japanese companies, organizations, and individuals, more than 2,300 Japanese and U.S. youth have participated in TOMODACHI exchange programs. 

These initiatives build on established programs, such as the binational Fulbright Program, which has benefited nearly 10,000 Japanese and U.S. students and scholars over more than 60 years; the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program; the Student Exchange Support Program and the Japanese Government Scholarship provided by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology; the National Science Foundation’s Summer Institutes in Japan, funded in cooperation with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; the Japan-U.S. Training Exchange Program for English Language Teachers (JUSTE); and the Mansfield Fellowship Program.  These programs have for years expanded and strengthened people-to-people connections between our countries. 

These government programs are complemented by the many non-governmental programs linking the people of our two countries, such as the Japan-America Societies, the U.S.-Japan Council, and the more than 400 sister-city and sister-state and prefecture relationships between Japan and the United States.  Such programs are indispensable, as are the dozens of academic associations, university linkages, and privately-funded exchanges, for example the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship; the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation Scholarships, the Grew Bancroft Scholarship; and the Japan-America Student Conference, which celebrates its 80^th anniversary this year.  Japan and the United States aim to further encourage new and expanded non-governmental dialogues to bring together opinion leaders from both nations. 

Symbolizing the grassroots friendship uniting our nations, the U.S. government and a range of private sector partners have created the Friendship Blossoms Initiative, which is currently planting 3,000 American dogwood trees throughout Japan on behalf of the people of the United States, to reciprocate the City of Tokyo’s gift of 3,000 flowering cherry trees to Washington, DC in 1912.  The 1912 gift from Japan is celebrated each year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival, an iconic spring event in Washington, D.C. 

The President and Prime Minister welcomed the invigoration of exchanges between the U.S. Congress and the Diet of Japan, praising the work of the U.S.-Japan Caucus and the Congressional Study Group on Japan in the United States Congress, the Japan-U.S. Parliamentary Friendship League in the Diet of Japan, as well as the U.S.-Japan Legislative Exchange Program and the Japan-U.S. Senate Inter-parliamentary Conference.  Nearly 200 Diet Members visited the United States in fiscal year 2013, and the number of Members of Congress visiting Japan in 2013 more than doubled over the previous year and continues to increase in 2014. 

Finally, the United States and Japan note that millions of Japanese and U.S. citizens visit each other’s country every year to visit family and friends, enjoy tourist sites and cultural experiences, and conduct the business transactions that underpin the tight economic relationship between two of the world’s largest economies.  To facilitate this travel, the United States and Japan plan to expedite work to establish a reciprocal arrangement, including through Japan’s participation in the U.S. Global Entry program, to streamline border formalities for trusted travelers from both our countries, and to make travel between the United States and Japan easier, faster and more secure. 

RECENT U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTOS

FROM:  U.S. MARINE CORPS 
Mar 21, 2014
Fort Hunter Liggett, CA - Marines with the tank platoon, Battalion Landing Team 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines, part of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, fire the M256 smoothbore gun of four M1A1 Abrams tanks during a live-fire training exercise at Fort Hunter Liggett, Calif., March 20. Realistic Urban Training Marine Expeditionary Unit Exercise 14-1 allows the Marines and sailors of the 11th MEU the opportunity to employ techniques and tactics applicable to their future deployment. RUTMEUEX incorporates the majority of the ground combat element, aviation combat element, logistics combat element and command element of the MEU for the first time in the predeployment cycle.   140320-M-RR352-001.JPG Photo By: Sgt. Melissa Wenger.

Mar 29, 2014
Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk province, South Korea - Republic of Korea and U.S. Marines assault the beach March 29 during a rehearsal of the amphibious landing portion of Ssang Yong 2014 at Doksoek-ri in Pohang, Republic of Korea. More than 20 U.S. Navy and ROK ships are supporting the amphibious landing. This exercise demonstrates the unique ability of a Marine Expeditionary Brigade headquarters to composite multiple Marine Air Ground Task Forces arriving in theatre via amphibious shipping, along with a ROK Regimental Landing Team, into an amphibious combined MEB. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Cedric R. Haller II/RELEASED)

U.S.-REPUBLIC OF KOREA RELEASE JOINT STATEMENT ON GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Joint Statement on Addressing Global Climate Change
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
May 7, 2013

The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Korea on the occasion of the visit by ROK President Park Geun-hye to the United States:

The Republic of Korea and the United States share the view that anthropogenic climate change represents a threat to the security and sustainable development of all nations. As two of the world’s major economies, and as members of the G20, the Major Economies Forum (MEF) on Energy and Climate, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Republic of Korea and the United States, by virtue of their national circumstances and capabilities, are each in a position to carry out significant and concrete action to reduce the threat of climate change and its impacts.

Both the Republic of Korea and the United States are also making significant efforts towards implementing their 2020 mitigation pledges under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The United States will continue to strengthen measures to reduce its emissions through a wide range of actions in key sectors of the economy. The Republic of Korea is developing and implementing a set of mitigation and adaptation policies aimed at achieving a low carbon economy. Such actions will contribute not only to addressing the challenge of climate change, but also to building a more creative economy that generates new jobs and future growth engines. Through its successful bid to host the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Republic of Korea has demonstrated its ambition in assuming a leadership role in addressing climate change, including providing support for and contributing to the GCF. Both the Republic of Korea and the United States will make efforts for the early and successful operationalization of the GCF.

Cooperative efforts between the Republic of Korea and the United States demonstrate our shared commitment to advancing climate action in the multilateral context. Both countries will continue to pursue a post-2020 agreement that is flexible and applicable to all Parties in the context of the UNFCCC, with substantive contributions from Parties consistent with national circumstances and capabilities. We will also work together in the context of the International Maritime Organization, while respecting each other’s position, to further enhance energy efficiency and therefore reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping. We highlight the importance of the MEF and Clean Energy Ministerial as complementary venues for dialogue as well as platforms for exploring joint efforts to take concrete actions in major sectors of our economies, with the goal of bending down the global emissions curve. In addition, we emphasize the importance of taking action to advance near-term climate change agenda, including through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants to support the achievement of the ultimate goal of the UNFCCC. A bilateral dialogue between both countries will be held regularly to exchange views on the climate change negotiations.

The Republic of Korea and the United States are engaged in a wide range of bilateral activities on climate change, particularly in the context of the recently approved 2013-2015 Work Program of the U.S.-Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement. Under this agreement, we will intensify cooperation in a number of areas, including clean energy research and development, research on climate modeling, workshops on climate risk assessment and adaptation planning, and joint work on the development and adoption of smart grids and energy efficiency technologies that will produce new jobs and markets in this evolving sector.

The governments of the Republic of Korea and the United States will continue to treat climate change as an issue of high priority in the bilateral relationship as we work towards an ambitious and coordinated global response to this serious challenge.

U.S..-SOUTH KOREA SIGN PLAN TO COUNTER THREATS FROM NORTH KOREA

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Officials Sign Plan to Counter North Korean Threats
From a Combined Forces Command News Release

YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea, March 24, 2013 - The chairman of the South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.S. Army general who leads the Republic of Korea-United States Combined Forces Command have signed a combined plan to counter future threats from North Korea.

Gen. Jung Seung-jo and Gen. James D. Thurman, who also commands U.S. Forces Korea, signed the Combined Counter-Provocation Plan on March 22.

The South Korean-led, U.S.-supported contingency plan was developed by mutual agreement between the Joint Chiefs chairmen of both countries after a November 2010 North Korean artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island.

Officials said the plan includes procedures for consultation and action. It also improves the readiness posture to allow for a strong and decisive combined South Korean and U.S. response to North Korean provocations and threats, they added.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY
130311-N-ZQ631-124 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (March 11, 2013) Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110) prepare to offer rescue assistance to a burning vessel during a transit of the Strait of Hormuz. William P. Lawrence is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility promoting maritime security operations, theater security cooperation efforts and support missions for Operation Enduring Freedom. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Carla Ocampo/Released)

130317-N-TG831-497 WATERS TO THE WEST OF THE KOREAN PENINSULA (March 17, 2013) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56), front, the Republic of Korea Navy Aegis-class destroyer ROKS Seoae-Yu-Seong-Ryong (DDG 993), middle, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell (DDG 85) move into formation during exercise Foal Eagle 2013. McCampbell and McCain are members of Destroyer Squadron 15, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and are underway to conduct exercise Foal Eagle 2013 with allied nation Republic of Korea in support of regional security and stability of the Asia-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Declan Barnes/Released)

U.S. ROLE IN SOUTH KOREA REAFFIRMED

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
U.S. Commander Reaffirms U.S. Commitment to South Korea
By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 7, 2013 - The top U.S. and United Nations commander in Korea today reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to South Korea's defense and urged North Korea to cease provocative actions.

Army Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command, addressed a recent North Korean threat to nullify the 1953 armistice that ended open warfare on the Korean Peninsula.

"For 60 years, the armistice agreement has ensured peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he said. "It concerns me when any signatory to a mutual agreement makes a public statement contrary to that agreement.

"As the UNC commander, I am charged to fully enforce the conditions of the armistice," Thurman continued. "The success of the armistice has enabled the Republic of Korea to become a vibrant democracy, and we remain ready to defend the Republic of Korea."

The United States calls on North Korea to refrain from additional provocative actions that would violate its international obligations and run counter to its commitments, the general added.

The latest provocations come on the heels of the U.N. Security Council agreeing to new sanctions after a third North Korean nuclear test last month.

Threats of provocations will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia, said Army Lt. Col. Cathy Wilkinson, a Pentagon spokeswoman. "The United States is firmly committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability," she added.

Wilkinson also noted that annual defense-oriented training exercises such as "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle" are designed to increase alliance readiness to defend South Korea, protect the region and maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula.

RECENT U.S. NAVY PHOTOS

FROM: U.S. NAVY

The aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) are in port at Naval Station Norfolk, Va., the world's largest naval station. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernest R. Scott (Released) 121220-N-ZN152-189

121221-N-AO362-301 BUSAN, Republic of Korea (Dec. 21, 2012) Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS La Jolla (SSN 701) arrives in Busan for a scheduled port visit. La Jolla, homeported in Pearl Harbor, is on a deployment to the western Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Jared Apollo Burgamy/Released)

U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES QUESTION ON CHINESE SHIP INTERDICTION

Korean War Photo.  Credit:  U.S. DOD.

FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
ROK Seizure of Chinese Ship

Taken Question

Office of the Spokesperson

Question: Does the State Department have any information related to the interdiction by the Republic of Korea of a Chinese-flagged ship, reportedly carrying graphite cylinders usable in missile programs supposedly from the DPRK, purported to be en route to Syria?

Answer: We refer you to the Government of the Republic of Korea for comment.

The United States will continue to work with the international community and our partners on the UN Security Council, including China, to enforce sanctions against the DPRK and to urge all countries to be vigilant in their dealings with North Korea.

ULCHI FREEDOM GUARDIAN 2012 AND 59TH ANNIVERSARY OF KOREAN ARMISTICE

110819-N-XG305-208 BUSAN, Republic of Korea (Aug. 19, 2011) Gunner's Mate 1st Class Eduardo Soto explains the capabilities of the MK 38 25mm machine gun to Republic of Korea sailors during a tour aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19). Blue Ridge is in the Republic of Korea to participate in Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2011. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Mel Orr/Released)

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE,
Ulchi Freedom Guardian Promotes Stability on Korean Peninsula

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2012 - As the United States and South Korea observe the 59th anniversary of the armistice that brought an unofficial end to the Korean War, their forces are sharpening their defensive capabilities through the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise.

More than 30,000 U.S. and South Korean service members are participating in what Army Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of Combined Forces Command, called "a key exercise in strengthening the readiness" of the two militaries.

Named in honor of a Korean military leader who repelled an invasion by China's Sui dynasty in the 7th century, Ulchi Freedom Guardian 12 kicked off Aug. 20 and continues through next week.

Seven United Nations Command states also are participating: Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Norway, officials said.

One of two annual Combined Forces Command peninsula-wide exercises, Ulchi Freedom Guardian is centered on readiness, deterrence and the ability to defend South Korea.

Driven by computer-assisted simulation, it is designed so senior leaders can exercise their decision-making capabilities, U.S. Forces Korea officials said, while also training commanders and staffs from both nations in combined planning, command and control operations, military intelligence, logistics and personnel procedures.

"It is based on realistic scenarios and enables us to train on our essential tasks with a 'whole of government' approach," Thurman said.

Ulchi Freedom Guardian is part of an ongoing focus on strengthening the U.S.-South Korea alliance while preparing South Korea to assume wartime operational control of its forces from the United States in 2015, officials said.

Thurman told the House Appropriations Committee this spring the U.S.-South Korea alliance is "as solid as ever," and said it serves as the foundation for the combined readiness of the two militaries. The general said he and his South Korean military counterparts are guiding military leaders and units of both militaries "to work and train closely with one another on a daily basis, and that effort builds combined strength, faith, and trust -- qualities that are essential for us to successfully accomplish our mission in Korea."

Training exercises like Ulchi Freedom Guardian, carried out in the spirit of the Oct. 1, 1953, ROK-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty and in accordance with the armistice, advance those efforts, U.S. Forces Korea officials said.

"These exercises also highlight the longstanding military partnership, commitment and enduring friendship between the two nations, help to ensure peace and security on the peninsula and reaffirm the U.S. commitment to the Northeast Asia region," they said.

Ulchi Freedom Guardian 2012 comes at a time of transition on the peninsula, with the new and relatively untested North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, continuing Pyongyang's pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, told American Forces Press Service he considers North Korea the most pressing trouble spot in Pacom's vast area of responsibility.

"If there is anything that keeps me awake at night, it's that particular situation," the admiral said. "We have to ensure that we maintain as much of a stable environment on the Korean peninsula as we can."

Toward that end, Locklear relies heavily on Thurman's leadership to ensure that South Korean and U.S. forces remain strong. In March, he emphasized the importance of the U.S.-South Korean alliance in deterring aggression and maintaining security and stability and offered assurances of an "unwaverable" U.S. commitment to the alliance.

U.S. AND REPUBLIC OF KOREAN FORCES STRIVE TO IMPROVE ABILITIES

FROM:  U.S. AIR FORCE
OVER THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA -- A U.S. Army MH-47 helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) lines up to refuel from a 17th Special Operations Squadron MC-130P Combat Shadow during a training mission here March 30 during Foal Eagle 2009. Foal Eagle is an annual combined training exercise for U.S. and Republic of Korea forces to evaluate and improve their ability to coordinate procedures, plans and systems necessary to defend the ROK. The 17th SOS is deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan, and the 160th SOAR is deployed from Fort Lewis, Wash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Aaron Cram)