President Yoon Seok-yeol is giving a speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 21st of last month (local time). /News 1
It was revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not participate in the United Nations (UN) statement condemning human rights violations of minorities such as Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang autonomous region. For the second year in a row, only Korea was left out of the condemnation statement in which more than 50 liberal and democratic countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom, participated. While the government emphasizes ‘value diplomacy’ and the ‘global pivotal nation’ slogan that will say what it says in accordance with national power, it is pointed out that actual actions are not keeping up with the rhetoric. Korea is also expected to become a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2024-2025.
On the 18th (local time), 51 countries, including the United States and Japan, made a statement at the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, saying, “We are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in the People’s Republic of China, especially the ongoing human rights violations against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.” announced. This statement was led by the United Kingdom and announced by British Ambassador to the United Nations James Kariuki, and not only the United States, Japan, and Canada, but also many European Union (EU) member states, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, were named. “We urge China, which is not taking action, to cooperate with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and others to improve the problem,” he said. The Third Committee mainly deals with social, cultural, and humanitarian issues.
However, it turned out that Korea was not included in this statement. It is interpreted as a measure that takes into account all aspects of Korea-China relations, including Prime Minister Han Deok-soo’s attendance at the opening ceremony of the Guangzhou Asian Games, a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the Korea-China-Japan summit, which is gaining momentum to be held in Seoul within the year. However, it appears that it will be difficult for the government, which emphasizes so-called ‘value diplomacy’ such as freedom, democracy, and human rights, to avoid criticism as it shows a decisive move. Last year, the government agreed to holding a ‘debate on allegations of Uyghur human rights violations’ at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), but was omitted from the statement condemning the UN General Assembly led by Canada. It is said that there was opposition from the economic line within the President’s Office. In 2021, 43 countries, led by France, issued a condemnation statement, but the Moon Jae-in administration’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not participate.
Even on the issue of forced repatriation of North Korean defectors, which has emerged as a major issue in the diplomatic world, diplomatic authorities are showing a relatively passive attitude. Ambassador to the United Nations Hwang Jun-guk brought up the issue of forced repatriation to North Korea during the general discussion of the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly held on the 18th (local time). However, it appears that China was not mentioned by simply saying, “According to various sources, numerous North Koreans appear to have been forcibly deported from third countries.” Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun did not respond to the issue raised by our side that day. A former high-ranking official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “If the gap between words and actions widens in diplomacy, the results will be worse than not doing anything at all.”
2023-10-19 12:56:15
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