S. Korea's top U.N. envoy reaffirms commitment to peaceful coexistence, denuclearization

By Song Sang-ho

WASHINGTON, April 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top envoy to the U.N. on Thursday reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to "peaceful coexistence" on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization, as he explained its policy to reduce military tensions and build trust with North Korea.

Ambassador Cha Ji-hoon delivered a speech during a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting in New York, as the United States and other countries marked two years since a U.N. expert panel, tasked with monitoring the enforcement of sanctions on North Korea, was disbanded following Russia's veto of a resolution to extend its mandate.

"Since the inauguration of the Lee Jae Myung administration last year, the Republic of Korea has consistently pursued a vision of a peaceful (Korean) peninsula built on reconciliation and cooperation rather than hostility and confrontation," he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

"We remain committed to respecting the DPRK system, pursuing neither hostility nor unification by absorption. In this spirit, the Republic of Korea has taken proactive steps to reduce tensions and build trust with the DPRK," he added.

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

He highlighted Seoul's "unwavering" commitment to denuclearization.

"The international community reaffirmed once again at the NPT review conference that the DPRK cannot have the status of a nuclear weapons state in accordance with NPT," he said, referring to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

"We recalled that the permanent members of the (Security) Council bear a special responsibility under the NPT, and we called on them to faithfully uphold the NPT in regards to the DPRK nuclear issue."

The ambassador pointed out that abandoning the goal of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula would have "adverse" implications for both regional and global nonproliferation efforts.

He also explained Seoul's "pragmatic" and "phased" approach to address North Korea's nuclear issue in recognition of the "current realities."

"We are pursuing a step-by-step progress toward denuclearization that begins with stopping DPRK nuclear and missile programs through dialogue and negotiation, followed by reduction and ultimately complete dismantlement," he said.

North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. Kim Song criticized the convening of Thursday's UNSC meeting, claiming that the now-disbanded U.N. expert panel was terminated by the "fair judgement of history."

He also described the panel as a "politically-motivated conspiracy group."