North Korea, 1998

Allow me first of all, on behalf of the

delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,

to congratulate Mr. Didier Opertti, Minister for Foreign

Affairs of Uruguay, on his election to the presidency of the

General Assembly at its current session. We believe that his

rich experience and diplomatic skill in dealing with

international affairs will lead this session to fruitful results.

We also express our gratitude to the former President,

Mr. Hennadiy Udovenko, for his successful stewardship of

the fifty-second session of the General Assembly. At the

same time, I wish to take this opportunity to express our

appreciation to Secretary-General Kofi Annan for his efforts

devoted to the maintenance of international peace and

security.

It is the wish and aspiration of humankind to make the

forthcoming twenty-first century peaceful and prosperous.

In this connection, we believe that working out appropriate

ways and means to achieve that end should be the main

focus of the current session.

The next century should be one of independence. In

order to build a world free of all forms of domination and

subordination and to ensure equality among all countries

and nations, independence should be realized throughout the

world. Only when all Member States adhere to the Juche

character and the national character and firmly maintain

independence in all fields of State activities can

international peace and security also be ensured.

At the first session of the tenth Supreme People’s

Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,

held on 5 September this year, our people unanimously reelected with high esteem the Great Leader Comrade Kim

Jong Il as Chairman of the National Defence Committee.

The chairmanship of the National Defence Committee is the

highest post of the State, organizing and leading the work

of defending the country and the destiny of the people, as

well as strengthening and increasing the defence capabilities

of the country and State power as a whole through

command over all its political, military and economic

forces. It is a sacred and important post that symbolizes

and represents the honour of the country and the dignity

of the nation.

The election of our Great Leader General Kim Jong

Il as Chairman of the National Defence Committee is the

most significant event in the sacred cause of strengthening

and developing our Republic and in achieving prosperity

and happiness for all generations to come. It is a vivid

expression of our people’s absolute trust in, support for

and boundless loyalty to their leader.

Some time ago, our people enthusiastically

celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. What pleased

our people most at this emotional juncture was the fact

that our scientists and technicians successfully launched

into orbit an artificial satellite, Kwangmyongsong No. 1,

using a multi-stage rocket carrier developed by us in our

own way, with our own knowledge and 100 per cent our

own technology. It was the first of its kind in the country.

The successful launching of our first artificial satellite

was an historic event demonstrating the might of our

scientific and technical development, and it will make a

great contribution to safeguarding world peace and

enriching the store of science and technology for

humankind.

In the last 50 years, the Government of our Republic

has been able to safeguard the sovereignty of our country,

advance the socialism chosen by our people towards

victory and defend peace on the Korean peninsula by

holding fast to the Juche character and the national

character, while firmly maintaining independence in all

fields of State activities.

Throughout the country our entire population is now

fully determined to glorify our socialism, which is centred

on the popular masses, under the banner of the Republic

founded by our Great Leader Comrade Kim Il Sung, the

founding father of socialist Korea. The people uphold the

leadership of the respected and beloved General Kim Jong

Il. In the near future, the world will see the independent

and peace-loving Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

develop into a prosperous Power.

The reunification of Korea and peace and security on

the Korean peninsula have long been a main area of

concern for the international community. From the

viewpoint of both the misfortune and suffering of a nation

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and the peace and security of a region, the division of the

Korean peninsula should not last any longer. Due to the

fact that Korea has not yet been reunified, military

confrontation and tensions grow increasingly aggravated

between the United States, Japan and South Korea, on the

one hand, and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

on the other.

As a result of the present military manoeuvres against

the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on and around

the Korean peninsula, there is a growing danger that either

the twentieth century may close or the twenty-first century

may open with another Korean war. This danger should be

removed by all possible means. In order to remove the

danger of war and ensure a durable peace on the Korean

peninsula, the reunification of the country should be

achieved without fail.

Independence, peaceful reunification and great national

unity are the three principles of national reunification

agreed upon between the North and the South. These

principles were also welcomed and supported by the United

Nations. The Government of our Republic consistently

maintains that Korea should be reunified by means of

confederacy on the basis of the three principles of

reunification. In April this year, our Great Leader, Comrade

Kim Jong Il, advanced the five-point policy for the great

unity of the entire nation as part of his continued efforts for

national reunification.

The main elements of the five-point policy are the

principle of national independence; a change in policy by

the South Korean authorities towards reconciliation and

alliance with the North; dialogue for the unity and

reunification of the whole nation; the promotion of

coexistence, co-prosperity and public interests between the

North and the South; and solidarity and coalition between

the North, South and the international community. The

Government of our Republic will spare no effort to achieve

these points.

We have been consistently in favour of dialogue for

reunification and to improve relations between the North

and South of Korea. The North-South dialogue should be

conducted on the basis of the principles of placing the

common interests of the nation above all, removing distrust

and confrontation between the North and the South and

subordinating everything to the cause of national

reunification. No one should be allowed to use dialogue for

dishonest political purposes or to perpetuate the division of

the country. If the South Korean authorities show their

sincere desire for reunification by taking practical

actions — such as abolishing the National Security Law

and the like — we will meet with them at any time and

hold dialogues and consultations to discuss the common

destiny of the nation and work together for national

reunification.

In order for the Korean people to resolve the

questions of national unity and reunification by

themselves, concerned countries, including the United

States and Japan, should refrain from hindering the efforts

of the Korean people. The United States Army is the

main military entity in South Korea and has long been in

belligerent relations with us. This is a quite abnormal

phenomenon in today’s post-cold-war international

relations and the product of anachronistic thinking. It is

the United States military entity and no other that

constitutes the major obstacle in the way of the

independent and peaceful reunification of Korea. In this

forum, we once again strongly urge the United States to

withdraw its forces from South Korea and to end its

belligerent relations with us. The States Members of the

United Nations should no longer claim to be unaware that

the name and flag of the United Nations continue to be

abused to conceal these belligerent relations.

We are convinced that the most appropriate way of

maintaining peace on the Korean peninsula is to dissolve

the United Nations command in South Korea and to

conclude a peace agreement between the Democratic

People’s Republic of Korea and the United States. This is

our unchanging position.

Japan should not hinder the cause of our

reunification by aggravating the tense situation on the

Korean peninsula. Japan must discharge its responsibility

for the Korean question by sincerely apologizing and

providing compensation for its enormous crimes against

our people, instead of attempting to declare war against

us by drawing up so-called “emergency legislation”,

aimed at keeping pace militarily with the United States,

the belligerent party with us.

Recently, too, the Japanese authorities behaved

unreasonably when they publicly questioned our satellite

launch and acted rashly in taking the issue to the Security

Council, insisting that it respond to our launch. This was

a flagrant mockery of the international community. If our

satellite launch is a serious security concern, Japan’s

satellite launches should be top priority for the Security

Council’s consideration.

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With just one year to go before the twenty-first

century, the United Nations is faced with the task of

building a new world free from all forms of domination and

subordination. New challenges in safeguarding world peace

and security, achieving the denuclearization of the world

and ensuring social progress and economic development

require the United Nations to find appropriate new

measures.

Almost all the recent attempts by a few big countries,

as opposed to the United Nations membership as a whole,

to deal with international matters have met with failure.

This proves that the era of power politics and big-Power

arbitrary action ended with the cold war. The United

Nations is now at a crossroads. It can either be dictated to

by big countries or become the Organization of a new era

in which the purposes and principles of its Charter are

safeguarded and fully realized. The reform of the United

Nations should correctly reflect this reality.

At present, the most undemocratic organ in the United

Nations system is the Security Council. The current

composition of the Council does not represent the general

United Nations membership and the veto power of its

permanent members often subverts the wishes of the

majority of member States.

If the United Nations is to be democratized, the

Security Council should be reformed. To this end, the

expansion of the non-permanent category should be given

precedence, thus correcting, to a certain extent, the current

imbalance in the Council’s composition. Its working

methods must be improved for the sake of transparency.

Priority should be given to the developing countries in the

expansion of the Council’s permanent membership. Any

State that has failed to atone for its past is not eligible for

permanent membership. As for relations between the

General Assembly and the Security Council, the authority

of the General Assembly should be enhanced decisively.

Recent events in southern Asia, witnessed by the

entire world, remind us all that disarmament, especially

nuclear disarmament, should remain a priority on the

agenda of the United Nations. Although several years have

elapsed since the end of the cold war, nuclear stockpiles

around the world have become more sophisticated rather

than being reduced. When the international community

called for a ban on all nuclear explosive tests, the nuclearweapon States opted for subcritical tests.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons cannot be

prevented so long as the nuclear-weapon States pursue a

monopoly of nuclear weapons. The policy of the nuclearweapon States to provide a nuclear umbrella and their

double standards in dealing with nuclear issues are among

the obstacles to making nuclear disarmament a reality.

The United Nations should decisively strengthen its

role in the field of disarmament. In this regard, we

believe that there is a growing need to convene a fourth

special session of the General Assembly on disarmament.

The issue of human rights needs to be dealt with

objectively and impartially within the framework of the

United Nations. In today’s international relations, the

human rights issue has became synonymous with

intervention in the internal affairs of other countries.

Attempts to impose the values of one nation upon others

are rampant. Consequently, the rights of people to choose

and the sovereign rights of nations are being infringed.

The United Nations should reject the politicization of

human rights and never tolerate double standards in the

implementation of human rights instruments.

The twenty-first century should be devoted to

development and cooperation. Economic development and

the sustained growth of the developing countries should

become a main theme in international economic relations.

To this end, the current inequitable international economic

relations need to be redressed and the external debt issue

resolved.

Economic sanctions run counter to the ideal of

cooperation, are anachronistic, and only incite

confrontation among nations. Countries that see economic

sanctions as an instrument of power and authority should

pay due attention to the fact that many people, at home

and abroad, are increasingly sceptical about and opposed

to them.

Globalization has caused the monetary crisis in Asia,

increasing the poverty and marginalization of the

developing countries. The United Nations should find

ways to meet this new challenge. It should play its

rightful role in strongly promoting the spirit of collective

self-reliance of the developing countries and urging the

implementation of official development assistance by the

developed countries.

The delegation of the Democratic People’s Republic

of Korea appreciates the efforts of the countries of Asia,

Africa and Latin America to develop regional and

subregional cooperation in the spirit of collective selfreliance. We also support Syria and other Arab countries

33

in their just struggle to seek a fair and comprehensive

solution to the Middle East problem and appreciate the

efforts of the countries of Africa to promote peace, security

and development there.

I take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the

Governments, organizations and individuals of various

countries, as well as the United Nations and governmental

and non-governmental international organizations, for their

humanitarian assistance with the damage caused by several

consecutive years of natural disaster in my country.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is an

independent peace-loving State and its Government

consistently adheres to the fundamental ideal of

independence, peace and friendship in its foreign policy.

The Government of our Republic will develop relations of

friendship and cooperation with all countries respecting its

sovereignty and continue to make every effort to ensure

peace on the Korean peninsula and to safeguard peace and

security in North-East Asia, in conformity with the

purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter.

My delegation will contribute to the best of its ability

to the successful deliberation of all items on the agenda of

the current session.