S. Korean FM says ASEAN supportive of Seoul's policies, peace efforts

Staying in Singapore...Seoul's top diplomat Kang Kyung-wha has revealed the results of meetings with her counterparts in the Southeast Asian country.One meeting that never materialized however was an anticipated one-on-one between Kang and North Korea's foreign minister,... this despite the fact he was there as well.Our Lee Jiwon files this report from Singapore. The six-day ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings finally came to an end on Saturday, and South Korea's foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha,... briefed reporters on Sunday about the results of her final meetings in Singapore. Seoul's top diplomat said some of the key takeaways from her meeting was the support among participating states for the nation's New Southern Policy and for change on the Korean Peninsula. ASEAN member states promised to passionately engage in multi-dimensional cooperation with Seoul,... and together with key stakeholders in the North Korea issue, they reaffirmed the shared goal of complete denuclearization and permanent peace in the region. And though Kang did not elaborate on what she discussed Friday night with Pyongyang's foreign minister, Ri Yong-ho, when he rejected South Korea's request for bilateral talks,... she said the two did have sincere discussions during their brief encounter at the gala dinner. "We exchanged brief but honest views about developments on the Peninsula and ways to cooperate. And I think it's helped lay the groundwork for the Panmunjom Declaration to be carried out."Meanwhile, though the much anticipated sitdown between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ri Yong-ho did not take place either,... the atmosphere did not seem hostile at all. The two diplomats, according to Washington Post, had a small chat during the meeting,... in which Pompeo said they should talk again soon,... and Ri replied that there are many productive conversations to be had. "The U.S. delegates also delivered President Donald Trump's response to a letter he received recently from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, so there seems to be real optimism that the two sides will continue striving to work things out. Lee Ji-won, Arirang News, Singapore."