YouSaid · the spoken record

Moon Jae-in

lines on the record: 93
first: 2017-09-24
most recent: 2021-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“If humankind is united as one and never loses sight of today, we will surely be able to build a better tomorrow. As humankind embarks on a new journey to usher in the era of global community, I count on the United Nations to lead the way with a spirit of solidarity and cooperation.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Korea will also increase its fair share of contributions to United Nations initiatives in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. We will make a bid for a seat as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2024 to 2025 term. We stand ready to play an active role in building sustainable peace and supporting thriving future generations. I look forward to cooperation with, and the support of, members in that regard. Even in the darkest hours of adversity, humankind has never lost hope for the future. Trusting one another and working side by side, we have changed that very hope into reality. Even in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, we are again sowing the seeds of hope. To build back better, we are gathering our greatest strengths.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“As a community bound by common destiny on the Korean peninsula and as members of the global community, the South and the North, I hope, will come together to join forces. I will make unyielding efforts to build a Korean peninsula that promotes shared prosperity and cooperation until my very last day in office. The recent situation in Afghanistan serves as a stark reminder of the crucial role that the United Nations plays in advancing peace and human rights. Korea will host the United Nations Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference in December. To ensure safer and more effective United Nations peacekeeping missions, Korea will make use of that opportunity to encourage closer cooperation in the international community.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It will be referred to as the Korean peninsula model, in which peace is attained through cooperation. For its part, North Korea must brace for changes that befit the era of global community. I expect that the international community, together with Korea, will remain ready and willing to reach out to North Korea in a cooperative spirit. Heeding the calls of the members of separated families, already advanced in age, we must waste no time in pressing ahead with their reunions. When South Korea and North Korea are engaged together in regional platforms, such as the Northeast Asia Cooperation for Health Security, a more effective response to infectious diseases and natural disasters will become feasible.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“When the parties involved in the Korean war stand together and proclaim an end to the war, I believe we can make irreversible progress in denuclearization and usher in an era of complete peace. This year marks the meaningful thirtieth anniversary of the simultaneous admission of South Korea and North Korea into the United Nations. Following the joint accession to the United Nations, the two Koreas recognized that they were two separate nations with different systems and ideologies. However, that was never meant to perpetuate the division. Only when we acknowledge and respect each other can we set out on a path towards exchange, reconciliation and unification. When the two Koreas and surrounding nations work together, peace will be firmly established on the Korean peninsula and prosperity fostered across the whole of North-East Asia.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Two years ago in this very Hall, I declared zero tolerance for war and advocated mutual security guarantees and co-prosperity as the three principles in resolving issues related to the Korean peninsula (see A/74/PV.3). Last year, I proposed a declaration to end the war on the Korean peninsula. More than anything, an end-the-war declaration will mark a pivotal point of departure in creating a new order of reconciliation and cooperation on the Korean peninsula. Today I once again urge the community of nations to mobilize its strength for an end-the-war declaration on the Korean peninsula and propose that the three parties — the two Koreas and the United States — or the four parties — the two Koreas, the United States and China — come together and declare that the war on the Korean peninsula is over.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Furthermore, with the support of the international community, we have achieved historic milestones — the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Reunification of the Korean Peninsula, the Pyongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018 and the military agreement resulting from the Inter-Korean summit, as well as the Singapore Declaration from the United States-North Korea summit. Peace on the Korean peninsula always begins with dialogue and cooperation. I call for a speedy resumption of dialogue between the two Koreas and between the United States and North Korea. I hope that the Korean peninsula will prove the power of dialogue and cooperation in fostering peace.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The United Nations has endeavoured to replace the incomplete peace maintained by the balance of power with sustainable peace grounded in cooperation, thereby promoting freedom for all of humankind. To ensure complete and lasting peace that begins firmly to take root on the Korean peninsula, Korea remains fully committed to doing its part. In envisioning a denuclearized and co-prosperous Korean peninsula, the Government of the Republic of Korea has steadily carried forward the peace process on the Korean peninsula.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Moreover, building on our experience as host of the Seoul Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 Summit in galvanizing global commitment to climate action, Korea seeks to host the twenty- eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2023. We aspire to play a more vigorous role in the faithful implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The most ardent dream of the global community is to create a life that is peaceful and secure. The birth of the United Nations transformed the paradigm of international relations based on competition and conflict into one of coexistence and shared prosperity.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Under the New Deal, Korea is turning its carbon neutrality commitment into opportunities to cultivate new industries and create jobs. Many Korean businesses are voluntarily joining the RE100 campaign and expanding their investment in hydrogen and other new and renewable energy, while pushing forward environmental, social and governance management and carbon neutrality with greater force. For its part, the Government will firmly back the private sector in technology development and investment. Korea will scale up its climate official development assistance and establish a green new deal trust fund, with a view to supporting the work of the Global Green Growth Institute and sharing its technologies and capacity for carbon neutrality. We will stand ready to help developing countries build their capacity to tackle the climate crisis.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Last year, Korea made a commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and legislated its vision and implementation framework by enacting the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth. By next month, we will finalize our 2050 carbon neutrality scenario and unveil our enhanced 2030 nationally determined contribution at the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in November. We have shut down coal-fired power plants earlier than scheduled and ended public financing for new overseas coal-fired power generation, with efforts under way to ramp up the generation of new and renewable energy. Carbon neutrality can be achieved only when each and every country is engaged in continued cooperation, and action plans must also be sustainable.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Notably, we are reinforcing employment and social safety nets and expanding investment in people, under the New Deal, to realize an inclusive recovery that puts people first. Our policy experience from the Korean New Deal will be shared with the rest of the world. To help developing countries make progress in achieving the SDGs together, Korea plans to scale up its official development assistance, in particular in green energy, digital technology and health care — areas that have seen a surge in demand during the pandemic. Another pressing task for the global community is responding to the climate crisis. Even as we speak, our planet is getting hotter faster than anticipated. The community of nations must join forces in closer concert to push forward carbon neutrality.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“For years, the United Nations had already called for the reduction of such inequalities and had outlined the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is now incumbent upon all Members of the United Nations to work with greater vigour to realize the SDGs. Korea will stand together with others to help all people, in every country, live without the fear of coronavirus. We will deliver on our $200 million pledge to the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility Advance Market Commitment. As one of the global vaccine production hubs, we will strive for an equitable and expeditious supply of COVID-19 vaccines. Korea will also stand at the vanguard of the endeavours to achieve the SDGs. In a bid to defeat the pandemic and make a new leap forward, we are pushing ahead with the Korean New Deal policy.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Now, as a responsible member of the international community, Korea is determined to step up its efforts to help countries prosper together and embrace one another. Korea will take the lead in putting forward a vision for partnership and coexistence that can be shared among developed and developing countries alike. A most urgent task for the global community is delivering an inclusive recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Low-income families, the elderly and other vulnerable groups were left most widely exposed to the threat of the virus. Socioeconomic problems that had accumulated over the years were brought to the fore by the pandemic. Poverty and hunger have deepened. From income and jobs to education, gaps widened across gender, class and countries.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The United Nations has now been requested to recommend a new set of rules and goals, as it ushers in this era of global community. To facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation within the framework of the multilateral order, the United Nations must become an institution that builds trust among nations. It must be an institution that brings together the commitment and capabilities of the community of nations to galvanize action. The Republic of Korea will take active part in the international order of solidarity and cooperation, led by the United Nations. As a newly independent State after the Second World War, Korea was able to build a democracy and a strong economy with the support of the United Nations and the international community.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“The horizons of our lives and thoughts have extended from villages to countries and from countries to the entire planet. I believe that that is the dawn of an era of global community. In this era of global community, we employ one another and work with one another. We gather our wisdom together and we act together. To date, countries with advanced economies and more power have taken the lead in the world. Yet, from now on, all nations will be called upon to move in tandem with their best possible goals and approaches in the pursuit of sustainable development. As the pivot of such cooperation and action, the United Nations will be asked to take on a larger role than it now plays. Having experienced the scourge of two World Wars, the founders of the United Nations aspired to establish an order for world peace.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I hope that this year’s session will impart to the people of the world a message of hope that we will emerge victorious from the pandemic and the climate crisis and attain sustainable development. By nature, humans build and live together in communities. By resorting to collective intellect and mutual aid in those communities, humankind has prevailed over myriad infectious diseases and has lived in coexistence. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic will also be surmounted by love of humankind and by solidarity and, at its centre, the United Nations shall stand. In our fight against the coronavirus, borders were crossed to share genomic information, vaccines were successfully launched through close collaboration and therapeutics are also being developed at a rapid pace. A triumph over COVID-19 demands that we break down barriers.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Standing before members again two years later at the General Assembly, I am keenly reminded of the precious normal daily life that has been lost. Guided by the leadership of Mr. Shahid, who assumed the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-sixth session, I hope the international community will gather its wisdom and work in partnership to tackle global crises. For the past five years, Secretary-General Guterres has worked tirelessly to revitalize and reform the United Nations. I extend my sincere congratulations and respect to the Secretary-General on his re-appointment. I am most certain that he will make greater strides in the key agendas dearest to his heart, such as peacekeeping operations, the response to climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I would like to ask the UN, from this moment onward, to be the center of inclusive international cooperation in the new era. Thank you.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It is not only Korea’s response to COVID-19 but also the invaluable lessons Korea will be gaining from institutionalizing peace that Korea wishes to share with the rest of the world. This way, we will be able to buttress UN’s efforts at the forefront to fulfill its purpose to maintain international peace through collective measures. Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General and Distinguished Delegates, COVID-19 has showed us how closely interconnected the world is, and humanity will, in the end, head into an era of solidarity and cooperation. We have to prepare for the future, and at the same time, change the world we live in today. If people start with small things, each and every one’s actions will unite and culminate in the “freedom for all” today.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Time has come to remove the tragedy lingering on the Korean Peninsula. The War must end, completely and for good. Peace on the Korean Peninsula will guarantee peace in Northeast Asia as a whole and, going one step further, bring positive changes to the world order as well. I believe it begins with declaring an end to the War, an act that can affirm mutual commitments to peace. I hope that the UN and the international community provide support so that we can advance into an era of reconciliation and prosperity through the end-of-war declaration. The end-of-war declaration will, indeed, open the door to complete denuclearization and permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“So far, I have spoken about a peace economy that benefits both Koreas and makes everyone prosperous and stressed the need for inter-Korean cooperation in disaster response and healthcare. Hoping that the international community views the issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula through the lens of more inclusive international cooperation, I propose today launching a Northeast Asia Cooperation Initiative for Infectious Disease Control and Public Health, whereby North Korea participates as a member along with China, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea. A cooperative architecture that guarantees collective protection of life and safety will lay the groundwork for North Korea to have its security guaranteed by engaging with the international community. In particular, this year marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today, the world is expanding the concept of security from traditional security of preserving territorial integrity to comprehensive security. The world has been joining forces to respond to non-traditional security threats from disasters and catastrophes to terrorism and cyber security, and to fight international crimes. However, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis that poses greater threat to humanity than a war, we came to be acutely reminded that the safety of neighboring countries is directly linked to that of our own. A single country can no longer manage the entirety of comprehensive security issues alone. As protecting peace of one country and saving life of one person now requires cooperation that transcends borders, we need to equip ourselves with a multilateral security architecture.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“What all of us need to do is to take one more step forward. My belief remains unchanged that we can achieve denuclearization and bring lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula with international community’s continued support and cooperation. At the end of the day, the South and the North are bound by a single community of life, intertwined by mountains, rivers and seas stretching across the two sides. When one is exposed to infectious diseases or natural disasters, so is the other, requiring the two to cooperate to overcome these challenges. Inter-Korean cooperation in disease prevention and control and public health will also trigger dialogue and cooperation in the process of building a peaceful Korean Peninsula.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“With the support and encouragement extended by the international community, Korea was able to successfully host PyeongChang Olympic Winter Games as Peace Olympics joined by North Korea, and it led to three inter-Korean summit meetings. The US-North Korea summit brought by bold decisions from the leaders of the two sides proved that the peace process can progress through dialogue. At the UN General Assembly last year, I presented the three principles to resolve issues related to the Korean War — zero tolerance for war, a mutual security guarantee and co-prosperity, and set out my vision to transform the Demilitarized Zone into an international peace zone. However, peace on the Korean Peninsula is still in the making and changes that used to brimming with hopes have stalled. Yet, the Republic of Korea will continue the dialogue.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Starting with recognizing the glaring gaps, developed countries should make greater efforts to find the optimal solution. As a bridging state connecting developed and developing countries, Korea will actively participate in climate action and faithfully share its unique development experience with developing countries. Next year, Korea will hold the 2nd P4G Summit in Seoul, which will serve as an occasion to affirm the importance of global solidarity in responding to climate change. The region in most urgent need of the spirit of the UN to realize world peace is the Korean Peninsula. The Republic of Korea has been steadfast in seeking inter- Korean reconciliation and is making relentless efforts to achieve denuclearization and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Korea is playing an active role in establishing a new climate regime, for instance, by faithfully implementing the Paris Agreement. By renewing nationally determined contributions, we will submit to the UN our fresh national greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030 by the end of this year. By devising a long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy, we will work with the international community in realizing a low-carbon society by 2050. In order to respond to climate change with success, promoting inclusiveness in international cooperation is indispensable. It is impossible for developing countries still in the process of industrialization to instantly catch up with advanced economies that took centuries and decades in the making.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Korea will work with all nations to minimize effects of COVID-19 and hasten economic recovery, and actively participate in international cooperation to promote inclusive multilateralism the UN is seeking to accomplish. September 7 was the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, which was proposed by Korea and subsequently adopted at the United Nations. Once human activities came to a halt, blue skies re-emerged in parts of the world. The coronavirus has paradoxically given us hope that, with the efforts of countries and international society, humanity can restore a green Earth. With the UN playing a key role, I anticipate greater international cooperation take place in pursuit of building back better and greener.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Korea has strived to safeguard global supply chain against disruptions and facilitate essential cross-border movement of people including business people. Korea will share its development experience with developing countries and join the concerted global efforts to achieve UN sustainable development goals. In order to enhance inclusiveness that drives sustainable economy, we should break the matter of course that crisis begets widening inequalities and revive our economy in a way that leaves no one behind. Korea has taken on a challenge of the Korean New Deal. Standing on the two pillars of Digital New Deal and Green New Deal, it marks a complete transformation of Korean economy and promises to render our society less unequal and more inclusive.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“As concerns remain over the possibility of the second and third wave of COVID-19, Korea will actively share its experiences accumulated from responding to COVID-19 and continue to work with the international community. Like a tsunami that follows an earthquake, economic aftershocks are sweeping us. Border shutdowns and atrophied exchanges of people and goods make the global economic recovery harder. Although it is indeed an extraordinarily difficult task, we must make the best of both worlds — preventing infectious disease and reviving the economy. Even in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, we should strengthen multilateralism characterized by solidarity and cooperation, and bolster free trade system built upon international norms.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It is evident that the UN’s idea of inclusive multilateralism will first be tested by whether it can distribute COVID-19 vaccines to all nations or not. We must not only enhance international cooperation for developing vaccines and treatments but also guarantee their equitable access for all countries, once they are developed. Through global funding, we should facilitate advance purchase of sufficient doses of vaccines for international organizations to ensure that impoverished and developing countries can also share in the benefits. Korea is actively participating in the COVAX Facility led by the World Health Organization and Gavi. Home to the headquarters of the International Vaccine Institute, Korea will provide active support to various activities geared towards developing and distributing affordable vaccines for developing countries.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Today, with the UN assuming a new job in the post-COVID-19 era, I would like to address the importance of strengthening inclusiveness in international cooperation — a way to shape multilateralism in a way that makes everyone prosperous. Mr. President, Strengthening inclusiveness in international cooperation means leaving no one behind and achieving shared prosperity where everyone enjoys freedom. Domestically, it is reducing inequalities to ensure safety of one’s own and sustainable development together with neighbors. Internationally, it is taking into account the conditions and circumstances neighboring countries are put in while working with them to attain co-prosperity. Nothing is more important than life and safety of humanity.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The answer to overcoming COVID-19 is not far from us. It lies in returning to the spirit of the UN Charter, that is believing in universal values of humankind, and it lies in marching toward a more inclusive world through multilateral action. The far-sighted leaders in the past created the UN, dreaming of a better world, and achieved a brilliant feat of promoting universal values of humankind. In the post-COVID-19 era, the UN should be tasked with spreading these universal values even further to resolve complex global challenges such as cooperation in healthcare, economic cooperation for sustainable development and climate action. The battles each and every country has been fighting this year have clearly demonstrated that the crisis cannot be overcome by a single country alone, or without consideration of neighbors.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The Republic of Korea took key values of democracy and turned them into three main principles of infectious disease prevention — openness, transparency, and democracy, and the entire Korean people turned themselves into the main actors in infectious disease prevention efforts. Korea also combined multilateralism with its community spirit, enabling people to practice the spirit of “freedom for all”. The Korean people protected their own safety by protecting that of neighbors. The Korean Government extended the scope of neighbors beyond its borders. By sharing infectious disease prevention equipment with other countries without closing borders, Korea is keeping our country and economy intact. We learned that, in the end, what empowers Korea to weather the novel coronavirus was the very values cultivated by humanity and championed by the UN.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Volkan Bozkir on your assumption of the Presidency. I have high hopes for your able leadership. I would also like to express my respect to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for his tireless efforts to resolve numerous global challenges from infectious diseases to peace, the economy, the environment and human rights. Mr. President, The COVID-19 crisis we face is upending daily lives of humanity and agitating even the world economy and international order. Just as the far-sighted leaders created the United Nations 75 years ago, it is high time that we pool our wisdom again to find our guiding star in this time of great transformation.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President, Mr. Secretary-General and Distinguished Delegates, Humanity has overcome a myriad of crises to date to build a civilization we live in today. Although we are now in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, humanity will surely once again make astonishing strides toward a tomorrow that is different from today. I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to the victims of COVID-19 and their bereaved families, and all of those around the world who are fighting the disease. My gratitude also goes out to the medical staff, frontline workers, and staff members of international organizations who are putting themselves at risk to protect the health of humanity. The 75th Session of the UN General Assembly will go a long way toward triumphing over an unprecedented crisis. Let me extend my congratulations to you, Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“One hundred years ago, the Korean people launched the 1 March Independence Movement against Japan’s colonial rule and established the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. After 100 years, Korea is now leading the efforts to achieve peaceful coexistence and equality based on love for humankind. Korea will continue to fulfil its responsibility and role in realizing the United Nations goals of peace, human rights and sustainable development, while standing together with the international community. We will also work together to ensure that the ultimate goals of the United Nations of international peace and security are realized on the Korean peninsula. I hope that the international community’s support and cooperation will enable swords to be beaten into ploughshares on the Korean peninsula.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In particular, Korea will actively participate in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)m on women and peace and security, which will mark its twentieth anniversary next year, and the Elsie Initiative for Women in Peace Operations, which was adopted in Vancouver in 2017. We will also host the next Peacekeeping Ministerial in Korea in 2021. Korea will host the second summit on the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) initiative next year. The second P4G summit will provide an opportunity to strengthen the international community’s solidarity for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. I hope that many stakeholders from Governments, international organizations, business and civil society will take interest and participate in that event. This year is very special for Korea.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“And we have established a presidential commission on sustainable development to ensure the institutional implementation of the Goals. To date, Korea has dispatched 17,000 military personnel to United Nations peacekeeping operations and has stood alongside people suffering from diseases and natural disasters throughout the world. Korea supports the Action for Peacekeeping initiative and the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. We will add to the virtuous cycle of peace and development by increasing the amount of our official development assistance.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit and the Mekong-Korea Summit to be held in Busan in November, will provide an opportunity to lay the foundation in that regard. The Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change are major tasks that we must achieve through multilateral cooperation. After formulating our own mechanism for the implementation of the SDGs, we are channelling considerable efforts into their implementation, in keeping with our pledge to the international community. We have enacted related laws, such as the sustainable development act, the framework act on low-carbon green growth and the framework act on international development cooperation.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In the aftermath of the Second World War, East Asia has made historically unprecedented progress through close mutual exchanges, the division of labour and economic cooperation by overcoming the pain of invasion and colonial rule. The free-trade order marked by fair competition has served as its very foundation. We will be able to make further progress through cooperation, while safeguarding the values of free and fair trade based on an earnest reflection of our history. The Republic of Korea intends to expand a people-centred community of mutual prosperity throughout the Korean peninsula, East Asia and the entire world by working in partnership with its neighbours.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In addition, the groundbreaking ceremony to mark their reconnection and modernization already took place. All of those efforts constitute a process that will help solidify the foundation for peace on the Korean peninsula, as well as contribute to peace and stability in North-East Asia. When the demilitarized zone that cuts across the midriff of the Korean peninsula is turned into a peace zone, the peninsula will evolve into a bridging nation that connects the continent and the ocean and facilitates peace and prosperity. The vision of an East Asian railroad community in which six North-East Asian countries and the United States take part could also become reality.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“However, cooperation with the international community, including the United Nations Mine Action Service, will not only guarantee the transparency and stability of demining operations but also instantly turn the demilitarized zone into an area of international cooperation. If North Korea makes sincere efforts to implement denuclearization, the international community should also reciprocate. The establishment of an international peace zone will provide an institutional and realistic guarantee to North Korea’s security. At the same time, South Korea will also be able to enjoy permanent peace. Chairman Kim and I agreed on the peaceful use of the demilitarized zone, and on-site inspections of the current state of North Korea’s railroads were conducted after the two Koreas embarked upon the reconnection of the severed railroads and roads.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“If we were to designate the area connecting Panmunjom and Gaeseong in North Korea as a peace and cooperation district and transform it into a zone in which both Koreas and the international community could jointly explore the path to prosperity on the Korean peninsula, and if the demilitarized zone were to host the United Nations offices already stationed in the two Koreas, and other international organizations related to peace, ecology and culture, and emerge as a centre for research on peace, peacekeeping, arms control and confidence-building, it could become an international peace zone in name as well as substance. There are approximately 380,000 anti-personnel mines in the demilitarized zone, and it is expected to take 15 years for South Korean troops to remove them on their own.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The demilitarized zone is a colossal green zone that stretches 250 kilometres from the east to the west and four kilometres from the north to the south. Its borders define the tragedy spawned by 70 years of military confrontation, but, paradoxically, it has become a pristine ecological treasure trove. It has also become a symbolic space steeped in history, which embraces both the tragedy of division, as embodied by the Joint Security Area, guard posts and barbed-wire fences, as well as the yearning for peace. The demilitarized zone is the common heritage of humankind, and its value must be shared with the whole world. Once peace has been established between the two Koreas, I will work together with North Korea to have the demilitarized zone listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I hope that the international community will also work together to alleviate the security concerns on the Korean peninsula. The third principle is co-prosperity. Peace does not simply mean the absence of conflict. Genuine peace is all about enhancing mutual inclusiveness and interdependence, while working together to achieve co-prosperity. A peace economy in which the two Koreas take part will solidify peace on the peninsula and, at the same, time contribute to economic development in East Asia and the whole world. Today, based on those three principles, which are in complete accord with the values upheld by the United Nations, I would like to propose to the United Nations and all Member States the idea of transforming the demilitarized zone that cuts across the middle of the Korean peninsula into an international peace zone.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The principles that I have firmly held on to in the course of resolving issues related to the Korean peninsula remain unchanged. The first principle is zero tolerance for war. Korea is still in a state of armistice. The war has yet to come to an end. The tragedy of war should never be repeated on the Korean peninsula. To that end, we must end the longest-running armistice in human history and achieve a complete end to the war. The second principle is a mutual security guarantee. South Korea will guarantee the security of North Korea. I hope that North Korea will do the same for South Korea. When the security of both sides is ensured, it will be possible to accelerate denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula. At the very least, all hostile acts must be put on hold while dialogue is under way.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That was truly a rewarding achievement made possible by the efforts to build peace, which also made it possible for President Trump to become the first sitting American President to cross the Military Demarcation Line and set foot on North Korean soil. The easing of military tensions and firm trust among the leaders of both Koreas and the United States set the stage for a momentous trilateral meeting at Panmunjom. President Trump’s action in taking Chairman Kim’s hand and stepping over the Military Demarcation Line was in itself a declaration of the true beginning of a new era of peace. It was a remarkable step that will go down in the history of peace on the Korean peninsula and in North-East Asia. I hope that both leaders will take yet another huge step from there.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“In particular, I would like to inform the Assembly of the fact that a total of 177 sets of remains have been recovered so far from Arrowhead Ridge — the site of the fiercest battle waged between South Korean and United Nations troops, on one side, and those of North Korea and China, on the other. In addition to the remains of South Korean soldiers, the presumed remains of soldiers from the United States, China, France and the British Commonwealth have also been recovered. Sixty-six years after the Korean War, the remains of three South Korean soldiers, whose identities were confirmed, have been returned to their families.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Dialogue and negotiations over the past year and a half have produced significant results on the Korean peninsula. Panmunjom, which used to be a symbol of division, has now become a demilitarized area in which not even a single pistol can be found. The two Koreas have withdrawn their guard posts inside the demilitarized zone, thereby transforming the very symbol of confrontation into a peace zone. In the past, repeated breaches of the Korean Armistice Agreement gave rise to military tensions and at times escalated the threat of war. But no confrontation has occurred since the Inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement was signed, on 19 September 2018.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)