Presidential Office Senior Official "Reflecting Expectations for Korean Diplomacy"
Triangular Cooperation with US and Japan on North Korea Nuclear Issue at Security Council
Ruling Party "Need to Form Favorable International Opinion"
President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 7th described South Korea's election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a "victory in global diplomacy."
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon noted that "out of 192 UN member states, 180 countries voted in favor of South Korea's entry as a non-permanent member," according to a written briefing by presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon.
South Korea, the sole candidate from the Asia-Pacific region for the UNSC non-permanent seat at the UN General Assembly, received 180 votes out of 192 participating countries. With this, South Korea will serve as a member of the UN Security Council for the third time, following 1996 and 2013.
The presidential office evaluates that the global diplomatic strategies pursued during the first year of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration?including contributions and solidarity measures as a global pivotal state and the Korean government's first Indo-Pacific strategy announcement?have resonated on the world stage.
A senior official from the presidential office told Asia Economy, "South Korea has proudly entered the Security Council, which discusses world peace and the free world order, transitioning from a country that received aid amid post-war ruins to one that provides aid," adding, "The unprecedented voting rate that overcame tensions around the Korean Peninsula reflects high expectations for the Yoon administration's diplomacy."
The official emphasized, "President Yoon's diplomacy, which has pursued responsible diplomacy as a global pivotal state and solidarity with countries sharing universal values of freedom and human rights, has gained international sympathy."
There are also observations that South Korea, starting its two-year term as a non-permanent member this year alongside Japan and the permanent member the United States, can form a trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the US, and Japan within the Security Council. As a member of the Security Council, South Korea has secured a position to voice concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and human rights abuses, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and China's military threats.
Yoo Sang-beom, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement on the same day, "Since the UN Security Council is the only UN body with legally binding authority over member states, this election as a council member will enable South Korea to play a leading role in measures against North Korea's repeated provocations and threats." Yoo also urged, "Given ongoing issues caused by habitual vetoes from China and Russia, we must call for responsible roles from both countries and ensure that this council membership translates into diplomatic achievements through fostering favorable international public opinion."
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