Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations

The Republic of Korea (ROK) has had a very special relationship with the United Nations since the establishment of its government. The UN recognized the legitimacy of the ROK government through General Assembly resolution 195 in 1948, and following the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution to provide the ROK with military assistance. In the wake of the devastation of the war, the UN offered key support that enabled the country to rebuild its economy and to overcome socio-economic and political challenges. Indeed, the UN has played a significant role in shaping a once war-devastated country into one where democracy has taken root, the economy is thriving, and human rights are respected.

In 1991 the ROK became a Member State of the UN, which was one of its long-cherished diplomatic goals. Since then, it has actively engaged, drawing upon its unique experiences of industrialization and democratization, in most UN issues ranging from international peace and security, to development, to human rights and humanitarian assistance, and to climate change. These efforts have led to tangible achievements in a short period of time: the ROK served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council two times from 1996 to 1997 and from 2013 to 2014, held the Presidency of the General Assembly in 2001, and saw its then-Foreign Minister become the 8th Secretary-General of the UN. In addition, it has played leadership roles in the three main pillars of UN activities—peace and security, development, and human rights-- by holding the presidencies of ECOSOC and the Human Rights Council, as well as the chairpersonship of the Peacebuilding Commission.

The Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the UN will leverage such experiences and capabilities in multilateral diplomacy to help the ROK continue to do its part, as a responsible member of the international community, in working towards global peace and prosperity. We will join forces in tackling security issues that range from regional conflicts to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, especially women and children. We will also continue to actively contribute to the promotion of the rights of vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities, and to the discussions of development agendas by sharing with others the lessons learned from our own unique industrialization and democratization experience.

Above all, we are committed to contributing to achieving complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. 

We count on your continued support in all of our future endeavors.

Thanks you.