President Moon's UN Speech Draws Attention... What Message Will He Send to North Korea?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in is heading to New York on the 19th to attend his last United Nations General Assembly during his term. Amid the strained inter-Korean relations due to North Korea's successive missile launches, attention is focused on what message President Moon will deliver to North Korea in his UN speech.

President Moon is scheduled to depart on the afternoon of the 19th by a special plane to attend the 76th UN General Assembly held in New York, USA, and to visit Honolulu, Hawaii.

President Moon will stay in New York until the 21st (local time) to carry out the UN General Assembly-related schedule. On the morning of the 20th, he will attend and deliver a speech at the opening session of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Moment together with BTS, who was appointed as a cultural envoy, and on the afternoon of the 21st, he will deliver the keynote speech at the UN General Assembly.

In his keynote speech, President Moon is expected to emphasize international cooperation and solidarity to address global challenges such as COVID-19 and climate change, and to express the support of member states for the peace process on the Korean Peninsula on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the simultaneous admission of South and North Korea to the UN.

Recently, as North Korea launched ballistic missiles following cruise missiles, the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting, raising international concerns, and inter-Korean relations have also become strained. Attention is focused on what message President Moon will include regarding North Korea in his keynote speech.

In the opposition camp, voices are rising that President Moon should issue a strong warning to North Korea. Kim Ki-hyun, floor leader of the People Power Party, emphasized at the Supreme Council meeting on the 16th, "This UN speech is President Moon's last speech during his term, and especially since it comes right after North Korea launched ballistic missiles in violation of Security Council resolutions, it must be distinctly different from before," stressing the need for a strong warning message to North Korea.

On the other hand, the 6.15 South-North Joint Declaration Implementation South Committee, a civic group, stated on the 18th, "We hope President Moon appeals in his UN General Assembly speech for the withdrawal of hostile policies including the lifting of US and UN sanctions on North Korea," arguing that a message of inclusion should be delivered.