Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

Statement by H.E. Ambassador Joonkook HWANG

Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea

Security Council Briefing on Maintenance of Peace and Security of Ukraine

New York, 21 October 2024                                                                                                 

Thank you, Madam President,

I also extend my gratitude to ASG Jenca for his briefing.

The Security Council’s high-level meeting on Ukraine last month demonstrated the international community’s shared sense of urgency for ending this brutal war.

However, it is regrettable that the situation on the ground is nowhere close to improving. Indeed, we continue to witness a major intensification of the battles along the frontlines. This is leading to a significant increase in civilian casualties, and the destruction of energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

Russia’s recent attacks against commercial vessels exporting Ukraine’s grains in the Black Sea as well as the precarious status of nuclear power plants illustrate how the war’s impacts transcend the region in many aspects ranging from global food security to nuclear safety.

Madam President,

Over the past year, we have witnessed another alarming development in the war: North Korea’s increasing involvement in support of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

According to the announcement by the ROK National Intelligence Service last week, over 13,000 containers filled with North Korean artillery shells, missiles, and anti-tank rockets have been shipped to Russia in approximately 70 batches since August 2023.

It is estimated that more than 8 million rounds of shells have already been provided to Russia.

In addition, we observed a key figure in North Korea’s missile development, Kim Jong Sik, 1st Deputy Director of the Munitions Industry Department, visiting and inspecting the KN-23 missile launch site multiple times near the Ukrainian front lines in August this year.

As my delegation has repeatedly pointed out in this Chamber, all of these activities are flagrant violations of multiple Security Council resolutions that Russia once voted in favor of.

Madam President,

We are well aware that North Korea is a habitual violator of international norms and Security Council resolutions. However, recent actions by Pyongyang have even surprised us.

Going beyond providing significant amounts of military resources to Russia, Pyongyang, according to our NIS (National Intelligence Service), has deployed about 1,500 special forces troops to Russia’s Far Eastern cities, aboard Russian naval vessels since earlier this month.

The transported soldiers were provided with Russian military uniforms and Russian weapons. And to disguise their identity, they were issued with fake ID cards of residents from Yakutia and Buryatia who share similar facial features with North Koreans.

This means a qualitative change in North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine. By dispatching a large number of combatants, North Korea will likely become an active belligerent in warfare.

This is not merely an attack on the very integrity of the Security Council sanctions regime; it is a blatant attempt to undermine peace and security not only in Europe and in Northeast Asia but also across the entire globe.

North Korea will expect a generous payoff from Moscow in return for its troop contribution. It could be either military or financial assistance; it could be nuclear weapons-related technology.

Madam president,

Russia may be in a desperate military situation, but even so, bringing in the forces of another country, especially from a notorious rogue state, is exceedingly dangerous. It is hard to believe that a permanent member of the Security Council would take such a gamble and shift the course of the war.

All the illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia must be unequivocally condemned. Russia and North Korea must immediately stop violating international obligations.

The Republic of Korea will mobilize various means to address this major development in full cooperation with its allies and friends.

In this regard, the Republic of Korea is fully committed to working with the international community to monitor and report any sanctions violation and evasion activities, including through the recently launched Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, the MSMT.

Madam President and Colleagues,

Ever since this illegal war began in February 2022, the collective voice of the international community has been crystal clear.

The overwhelming majority of UN General Assembly appealed to Russia to end this futile war by withdrawing its troops from Ukraine.

The Republic of Korea believes that any pathway toward lasting peace in Ukraine must be in line with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, particularly by ensuring respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

I thank you, Madam President. /END/