Seoul’s UNSC stint to help tame NK

By Kim Young-jin

South Korea’s stint as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council will help bring stability to the region, Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said Friday.

“We have secured a significant portion of deterrence against North Korea,” Kim said during a press briefing.

Seoul will begin its two-year duty on Jan. 1 after securing the required votes during an election at a U.N. meeting in New York, Thursday.

Australia, Argentina, Rwanda and Luxembourg were also elected to council, which includes 10 non-permanent and five permanent members.

Korea, which will sit on the council for the second time after a stint in 1996-97, won 149 of 192 votes, more than the required two-thirds of the total needed.

The UNSC maintains harsh sanctions on Pyongyang for its nuclear and missile tests but not for its two deadly provocations on the South in 2010. China, the Stalinist state’s main ally and a permanent member of the council, vetoed any further punishment.

Kim said the seat would help Seoul deal directly with problems stemming from North Korea such as the sinking of the Cheonan warship and shelling of Yeonpyeong Island because after the attacks, the South could only deliver its opinions to the UNSC through other countries.

Kim said the election to the council would not have a major impact on relations with Japan and stressed that the countries should work to resolve historical issues and work toward a “bright future between the two countries.”

The foreign minister did not elaborate on what areas Seoul might focus on, but said it would take a more active role in various security concerns worldwide.

He linked Seoul’s successful campaign for entrance to the council with Seoul’s growing role on the world stage.

The results “showed that the international community appreciated the contributions made and roles played by Korea in the areas of world peace and security.”

The election was seen as Seoul’s latest step its "Global Korea" campaign to bolster its international image. It hosted the G20 Seoul Summit in 2010 and the Nuclear Security Summit in March. Ban Ki-moon, a South Korean, has been U.N. Secretary-General since 2007.