Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met with South Korea’s top diplomatic and security officials on Thursday, where Seoul expressed hope that Singapore would continue to play a constructive role in promoting peace and dialogue on the Korean Peninsula.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac met Balakrishnan at Cheong Wa Dae in the afternoon, where the two sides discussed ways to advance bilateral ties, developments surrounding the Korean Peninsula and efforts to stabilize the Middle East, according to the presidential office here.
Wi learned details of Balakrishnan’s trip to North Korea, which took place Tuesday to Wednesday, and explained the South Korean government’s efforts toward peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula.
Balakrishnan expressed active support for those efforts, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Wi also praised Singapore’s past contributions to Korean Peninsula diplomacy, including hosting the landmark 2018 summit between then-US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
“(Wi) expressed hope that Singapore would continue to play a constructive role for peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the presidential office said.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, Wi assessed President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Singapore in March as successful and expressed hope that continued high-level exchanges would deepen the South Korea-Singapore Strategic Partnership and the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between South Korea and ASEAN.
The two sides also exchanged views on the conflict in the Middle East and shared the view that diplomatic efforts are needed to swiftly end ongoing conflicts and restore regional stability.
They stressed the need to promptly normalize free and safe navigation of vessels through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, and agreed to maintain close communication and cooperation amid growing supply chain uncertainties.
In the morning, Balakrishnan also held talks with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.
During the meeting, Cho called for Singapore’s support in fostering conditions conducive to renewed dialogue with North Korea following Balakrishnan’s recent Pyongyang visit, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.
Balakrishnan has been on a regional tour of China, North Korea and South Korea since Sunday. During his visit to Pyongyang, he held talks with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, according to the Korean Central News Agency.
Cho explained Seoul’s policies and efforts aimed at achieving peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula and requested support from Singapore and other ASEAN member states in helping create a favorable environment for dialogue with Pyongyang, the ministry said.
Balakrishnan expressed his agreement, stressing the importance of close communication between the two countries to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
The visit marked Balakrishnan’s first trip to South Korea since taking office in 2015 and the first by a Singaporean foreign minister since 2007.
North Korean state media reported that Balakrishnan and Choe exchanged views on developing bilateral ties “in a multifaceted way” by expanding exchanges and cooperation between their foreign ministries, as well as on regional and international issues.
Cho also assessed that bilateral ties between Seoul and Singapore have deepened through continued high-level exchanges, including President Lee’s reciprocal visit to Singapore four months after Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s official trip to South Korea in November last year.
The two foreign ministers also reaffirmed the importance of regional cooperation frameworks such as ASEAN and agreed that the ASEAN Regional Forum serves as a useful platform for discussions aimed at promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Separately, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young also met Balakrishnan and later told reporters that he “greatly appreciates Singapore’s constructive role” regarding North Korean issues.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com
