Yoon Discusses 'North Korea Provocations and Human Rights' with UN Secretary-General... Expected to Warn North Korea and Russia in Speech

Meeting with Secretary-General Guterres, Emphasizing South Korea's Response Principles to Threats to Freedom and Peace
Likely to Mention North-Russia Military Cooperation and North Korea Nuclear Threat in Keynote Speech on the 20th

President Yoon Suk-yeol met with United Nations Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres on the 19th (local time) and stated, "We hope to continue cooperating with the UN to prevent North Korea's provocations and to achieve substantial improvements in North Korea's human rights situation." President Yoon has consistently conveyed the South Korean government's response principles to provocations that threaten freedom and peace to the UN. On the 20th, he is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the UN General Assembly, appealing for international solidarity against North Korea-Russia military cooperation and the North Korean nuclear threat.

On the afternoon of the same day, President Yoon held a meeting with Secretary-General Guterres in New York, USA, where he is attending the 78th UN General Assembly high-level session. They created an opportunity to strengthen cooperation not only between South Korea and the UN but also on global issues including North Korea. In particular, President Yoon emphasized the importance of global solidarity centered on the UN in today's era of complex crises and expressed his determination to fulfill a responsible role befitting South Korea's international status.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is visiting the United States to attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly, is meeting with UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres at the UN Headquarters in New York on the 19th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He also emphasized cooperation regarding North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations and human rights improvements. Regarding the global issue of the Ukraine war, President Yoon shared plans to contribute to establishing peace in Ukraine.

Secretary-General Guterres also reaffirmed his willingness to cooperate for North Korea's denuclearization and improvement of human rights. During the meeting, he expressed gratitude for the South Korean government's activities and contributions at the UN and said, "I look forward to closer communication during South Korea's term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council to address major international issues." The presidential office stated, "This meeting is evaluated as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between South Korea and the UN, as well as coordination on North Korean issues and global challenges."

President Yoon's stance is expected to become clearer in his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly scheduled for the 20th. This will be his second speech at the UN General Assembly since taking office, and he is expected to deliver a strong message regarding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Earlier, in a written interview with the Associated Press released on the 17th, President Yoon criticized the summit between Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea, and Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, stating, "North Korea-Russia military cooperation is illegal and unjust cooperation that violates UN Security Council resolutions and various international sanctions," and added, "The international community will unite more closely to respond to this."

He also previewed, "I would like to mention that the Republic of Korea, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024?2025 term, will play a responsible role in security issues requiring international solidarity, such as the Ukraine war and the North Korean nuclear issue." Furthermore, he stated, "I will raise the issue of gaps in three areas?development, climate response, and digital transformation?and present South Korea's contribution plans to address them."

Throughout the remaining schedule, President Yoon plans to focus on activities to attract the 2030 Busan World Expo and deliver messages for international security cooperation. Following the first day, he met with various high-level officials from countries in Africa, South America, and Europe to explore cooperation in diverse fields such as economy, digital transformation, and human exchange. Immediately after arriving in New York the previous day, President Yoon held summit meetings with nine countries?Sri Lanka, San Marino, Burundi, Czech Republic, Denmark, Montenegro, Turkmenistan, Saint Lucia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina?over seven hours, requesting support for the Expo bid and discussing economic cooperation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.