Don’t waste a golden chance for diplomacy

Ma Sang-yoon
The author is president ofthe Korean Association of International Studies and a professor of internationalstudies at the Catholic University of Korea.

Five months have passed since the Republic of Korea started its third term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council after its first and second in 1996 and 2013. In June, the country will assume the presidency of the UN Security Council for one month. As it offers a rare opportunity to play a crucial role, it is worth reflecting on the significance. Some may be cynical about the meaning of being a member of the council and serving as its president amid deepening skepticism about the power and function of the United Nations.

The argument of the international body’s irrelevance has been around for a while, but it has become more prevalent in recent years. The divisions in the international community are deepening as the strategic rivalry between the United States and China intensifies. Against the backdrop of confrontation, the Security Council’s ability to collectively respond to international security issues has been significantly weakened particularly in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Under the UN Charter, the five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China — are responsible for managing the collective security system. But since Russia confronted the West by starting the Ukraine war, the security response of the council, which has been operating on the premise of the strong powers’ consensus, has faced a fundamental limit. A classic example is the Security Council’s failure to extend the term of the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea due to Moscow’s veto.

Despite its limitations, however, the United Nations still remains a useful organization. Due to the nature of international politics, in which individual countries pursue their own interests, it is difficult to address the common challenges of humanity, including climate change, as they are often beyond each nation’s sovereignty.

Therefore, seeking global cooperation through international bodies like the UN and encouraging participation of various actors like companies and non-governmental organizations can offer solutions. Until now, the United Nations has gradually raised its relevance in the changing international order through its peacekeeping operations, for instance. Such creative responses should be promoted further in the future.

As a member and president of the Security Council, Seoul must play an important part in revitalizing the role of the United Nations. At the same time, it must wisely utilize its UN diplomacy to advance its national interests. Since South Korea’s national strength has grown dramatically to become one of the top 10 economies, the government has been striving to be a pivotal state in the world.

But it is questionable whether the level of the country’s national power is fully reflected in its presence on the global diplomatic stage. The immediate threats from North Korea have forced South Korea’s diplomacy to focus on the Korean Peninsula. Aside from the South Korea-U.S. alliance, the country is also limited by its lack of membership in other global groups. Securing a steady position on the Security Council would be greatly helpful for the country to overcome such limits. It will also help expand Seoul’s leverage in dealing with security issues on the peninsula.

Interconnectivity continues to deepen in today’s world, as seen in the rise of complex security challenges combining the military, economy, science and technology fronts. During his recent visit to China, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken sharply pointed out China’s economic support for Russia. As this clearly shows, the European situation is closely intertwined with the Indo-Pacific situation, influencing one another.

As competition between the West and the anti-West group over the Global South accelerates, the race is turning into a competition between liberal values and authoritarian values. Geopolitical military rivalries and economic security contests to secure markets and resources in the Global South are also growing ever fiercer.

In this complicated global order, UN diplomacy is an important means to expand the frontiers of South Korea’s diplomacy and bolstering its global leverage. I hope the country conducts successful diplomacy on the Security Council to contribute to resolving universal problems but also to promote national interests by upgrading its diplomacy. It will be better if South Koreans pay attention to their government’s performance on the UN stage and support it.

Translation by the Korea JoongAng Daily staff.