UN needs to take more active role to solve Korean issues
Oh Joon, ambassador and permanent representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, delivers a speech at the ICAS Fall Symposium.
By Oh Joon
WASHINGTON -- During the Cold War period, the “Korean Question” in the U.N. had been characterized by the diplomatic battle between the two Koreas.
After the two Koreas’ admission to the United Nations in 1991, however, three key North Korean (DPRK) issues have dominated U.N. debate on the Korean Peninsula: the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, human rights violations and humanitarian issues.
Given that North Korea has never shown a genuine willingness to give up its nuclear weapons through negotiations, the international community should make it more difficult for North Korea to pursue its nuclear program, forcing it to rethink its policy.
In this regard, U.N. Security Council sanctions have an important role to play. While the impact of sanctions may not be obvious at first, their accumulated effect will eventually make a difference over time and put pressure on the DPRK regime.
The U.N.’s debate on the DPRK’s human rights situation, which has entered a new phase after the adoption of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) report and the Security Council’s first debate on the issue in December 2014, also adds pressure on the DPRK regime and may eventually lead to change.
In the long term, reunification will be the fundamental solution to DPRK nuclear and human rights issues. When the right moment arrives, opportunities may open up for the U.N. to take a more active role in promoting peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula, including through the Secretary General’s role as a mediator.
Oh Joon is ambassador and permanent representative of Republic of Korea to the United Nations.