Geopolitical Tensions Strain Multilateral Diplomacy in Vienna, Impacting North Korea Nuclear Issue: Envoy

By Oh Seok-min

VIENNA, June 14 (Yonhap) -- Intensifying geopolitical tensions and bloc politics are straining consensus-based diplomacy in Vienna, making the global environment surrounding North Korea's nuclear program increasingly more complex, a senior South Korean diplomat said.

Ham Sang-wook, South Korea's ambassador to Austria, who also serves as permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks in an interview with Yonhap News Agency held in the Austrian capital on Friday, calling for strengthened solidarity among like-minded nations to support the multilateralism needed to tackle evolving challenges such as the North Korean nuclear issue.

"The North Korean nuclear issue, the Iranian issue and the war in Ukraine are no longer separate agendas, but have become interlinked and mutually reinforcing complex security challenges," Ham said.

"Vienna has traditionally been a hub of multilateral diplomacy, where the 'Vienna spirit' of consensus-based decision-making and a culture of mutual respect have been well preserved. But differences among member states have become more pronounced even here in recent years, and resolutions that were once adopted by consensus are increasingly being put to a vote," he noted.

The ambassador said a multilateral approach is not a choice but a necessity for South Korea, as the predictability and stability provided by a rules-based order "have been a key foundation for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula, as well as for economic development."

"We should maintain a principled stance while pursuing balanced diplomacy," he said.

His comments come as North Korea has deployed thousands and thousands of troops to support Russia in the war against Ukraine amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

In a joint statement issued Wednesday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and leaders of the European Union strongly condemned military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, calling it illegal and a factor enabling Russia to continue its war on Ukraine.

During his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping did not publicly raise the issue of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula despite Pyongyang's advancing nuclear capabilities, a move viewed by many as part of Beijing's effort to counterbalance U.S. influence.

In May, parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons concluded a weekslong review conference in New York without agreeing on a consensus outcome document, marking the third consecutive such conference without an agreement amid disputes over Iran, North Korea and other issues.

"We have consistently sent the message that a window of opportunity for a peaceful resolution could open if North Korea returns to dialogue," Ham said. "We will continue efforts to make substantive progress through a step-by-step and pragmatic approach in close cooperation with the international community."

Vienna is home to key international organizations involved in nuclear non-proliferation, including the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, both of which play central roles in addressing North Korea-related nuclear issues.

South Korea's diplomatic efforts have also focused on enhancing innovative leadership in multilateral forums, particularly in emerging technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and space, the ambassador said.

Speaking about South Korea's push to develop nuclear-powered submarines and secure civil uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities, Ham said the government has been in close contact with the IAEA through multiple channels with a focus on ensuring compliance with global non-proliferation norms.

"We will work with the IAEA to establish verifiable institutional mechanisms and maintain sufficient transparency toward the international community," Ham said. "The embassy will continue to play its part in balancing national security needs with non-proliferation objectives."

The ambassador said Seoul and Vienna share common ground as open economies and have been expanding cooperation in future-oriented industries.

"Our strong innovation capabilities, as well as manufacturing and commercialization capacities, combined with Austria's strengths in basic science, materials, green technology and advanced manufacturing, could create greater opportunities in such sectors as batteries, semiconductors, hydrogen, biotechnology and AI," Ham said.

The Korea-Austria economic cooperation forum, now in its fourth year, has become a platform for discussing forward-looking economic cooperation, with this year's edition to focus on defense, he added.

Interest in Korean culture has also grown in Austria, with the Korean Cultural Center, established in 2023, helping turn this growing interest into more structured cultural exchange in language, traditional arts and other fields.

"We are seeing the expansion of Korean restaurants and K-beauty shops, as well as K-pop cover dance activities, which shows that Korean culture is becoming naturally embedded in daily life here," said the ambassador.

"We will continue to expand people-to-people cultural exchanges in cooperation with local institutions, artistic groups and regional communities, while further diversifying cultural content."