The Secretary-General and Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se of the Republic of Korea (ROK) met today.

The Secretary-General and the Minister discussed the situation in Syria. The Secretary-General briefed on developments related to Syrian chemical weapons, the pursuit of a political track and the humanitarian situation. He appreciated the support of the ROK Government as a Security Council member, for the work of the UN on chemical weapons in Syria as well as its humanitarian assistance for the people of Syria.

Concerning the Korean peninsula, the Secretary-General reiterated his firm support for the trust building process launched by President Park Geun-hye. He hoped that inter-Korean dialogue and exchanges, including family reunions, would expand.

The Secretary-General stressed the need for the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He also thanked the ROK Government for expanding its humanitarian assistance through UN agencies to the most vulnerable groups in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The Secretary-General commended the ROK Government for its firm commitment to intensify its efforts towards realizing the MDGs and shaping a post-2015 development agenda, particularly through an increase in ODA. He also hoped for the Korean Government's continued contribution to fight against climate change, particularly through its active participation at the special summit on climate change next year.