Yoon to use U.N. address to warn on NK-Russia military cooperation

Sep 15, 2023, 10:55 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during an event hosted by the Presidential Committee for Decentralization and Balanced Development at Busan International Finance Center (BIFC) in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on September 14, 2023./ Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

President Yoon Suk-yeol will visit New York starting Monday with his wife Kim Keon-hee to attend the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

This is the second time Yoon has attended the UN General Assembly since last year. He plans to deliver a keynote speech at the UN General Assembly, where he is likely to seek international support for Korea’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan and issue warnings regarding strengthened military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.

“President Yoon will deliver a keynote speech at the 78th UN General Assembly on the third day of the session which falls on September 20,” said Kim Tae-hyo, the deputy national security director, in a briefing at the presidential office on Thursday. “He will announce plans to serve as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council.”

South Korea was chosen as a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for a two-year term for 2024-25.

Soon after arriving in New York on Monday, Yoon is expected to take part in about 30 bilateral meetings, where he will seek support for Busan to host the 2030 World Expo. Ahead of the final selection of the venue for the world expo in November, Yoon has seemingly judged the UN General Assembly as the biggest match point to seek international cooperation.

On the expanded military exchanges between North Korea and Russia, Yoon is expected to address “an appropriate analysis and message concerning the military exchange” between the two countries, a high-ranking official from the presidential office told reporters. “Along with individual measures we can take on our own, we are also discussing multilateral measures we can take together with the United States, Japan and other key friends,” the official said.

The president’s keynote speech at the UN General Assembly will take place on September 20 at 2 p.m. local time, with this year’s theme being “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity.”

“The New York initiative, which was announced last year, marked the first anniversary,” Kim said, adding, “Yoon plans to unveil the Digital Bill of Rights and emphasize the importance of solidary and cooperation within the international community to foster a society where digital prosperity is shared by all.”

On Tuesday, Yoon will meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and attend a reception hosted by US President Joe Biden. On Thursday, he will attend the Digital Vision Forum hosted by New York University.

#Yoon Suk-yeol #UN General Assembly #World Expo #North Korea #Russia