SPECIAL ADVISOR EINHORN: Thank you very much. First of all, I want to express my appreciation and the appreciation of this Department of State and Department of Treasury U.S. team to Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Yong-joon and his colleagues at MOFAT for their hospitality and hosting these talks.
The last few months have given the U.S. and the Republic of Korea an opportunity to demonstrate the strength, the abiding strength of their alliance, of their very strong commitment to one another. I think the close bonds between the two countries were demonstrated very clearly on July 21 at the unprecedented, so-called “2+2” Ministerial sessions between the two countries. I think the close bonds were also demonstrated last week in the [Sea of Japan] in the naval exercises between our two countries. In the weeks and months ahead, the United States hopes to demonstrate that we remain a good friend and a close ally of the Republic of Korea.
One area where we need to continue demonstrating our close partnership is in the area of strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime globally and strengthening international peace and security. And these challenges require us to deal with the threats posed by both North Korea and Iran. My State-Treasury team is here to consult closely with our Republic of Korea colleagues on how best to address these challenges.
One means of addressing these challenges is to increase the pressures felt by these two governments, so that they recognize that it is in the best interest of their countries to meet their international obligations and forsake nuclear weapons. So we have to talk about the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions that impose sanctions on both governments, and consider how best to cooperate to achieve our own objectives and to bring these two governments to more reasonable positions. We have had good discussions already. We are going to continue these discussions this afternoon and tomorrow. Thank you very much.
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER YOON: We are going to take some questions.
SPECIAL ADVISOR EINHORN: A couple of questions.
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER YOON: [Speaking Korean]
QUESTION: Mr. Einhorn, you said -- I am a Joong-ang Daily reporter Jun Su-Jin. You said in a house hearing last week that there is an important difference between Iran and North Korea, and does it mean that the sanctions against North Korea will be relatively less harsh against North Korea than against Iran?
SPECIAL ADVISOR EINHORN: No, I am not saying, I am not saying that at all. But these are very different cases, in different, very different situations. And the kind of measures that will persuade one government to be more reasonable may be different than the kinds of measures that would persuade another government to be more reasonable. So, our idea is not to apply the same measures to both governments, but to take steps that are appropriate in each specific case.
QUESTION: Mr. Einhorn, would you describe next, what will be the next step? You are going to discuss with Korean officials about these sanctions and then we understand that you are going to Japan? You are going Japan for consultation purposes and then we are told that United States Government is going to enact an executive order, to deal with North Korean illicit transactions (inaudible). Would you describe them (inaudible) and final?
SPECIAL ADVISOR EINHORN: In terms of our travel plans, we will be going tomorrow afternoon to Tokyo for a day of discussions with Japanese authorities. We will cover much of the same ground -- in other words, how to strengthen implementation of sanctions against North Korea and Iran. In terms of new measures, well, these were previewed by Secretary Clinton on July 21. We have in mind -- we are now finalizing, and will soon implement -- some new authorities, but I will be able this afternoon at a press event at 4 o’clock to discuss, in more detail, the content of those new measures. But we are still working on finalizing those measures in Washington, so I will not be able to reveal those in all the detail this afternoon.
QUESTION: (inaudible) How much painful [sic] do you hope to inflict on North Korea?
SPECIAL ADVISOR EINHORN: Our hope is that these measures will be effective, that they will provide strong incentives for North Korea’s leaders to abide by their international obligations to, not to pursue any provocative activities and to fulfill completely their commitments to the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
Thank you very much.
DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER LEE: Mr. Einhorn, you are free to go for lunch (laughter).
