According to the UN Charter, in addition to the five permanent members with "veto power", namely China, the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom and France, there are ten other non-permanent members. Each of the 10 countries is for a two-year term, with five members changing each year. Not long ago, South Korea was elected by a large margin in an election to replace non-permanent members, returning to the UN Security Council after 11 years. According to global news reports, South Korea became the only Asian candidate to win a non-permanent seat at the United Nations for 2024-2025 in the elections to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The election results show that 180 of the 192 UN member states voted for South Korea. South Korean President Yoon Seok-wook welcomed South Korea's election as a non-permanent member and described the achievement in seven words, calling it a "triumph of global diplomacy." History shows that this is the third time South Korea has been elected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations, after two previous elections in 2013-2014 and 1996-1997.
However, when South Korea is elected as a non-permanent member, it not only has more power, but also greater responsibility. We hope that South Korea will make good use of this opportunity and make greater contributions to global peace. However, there are some practical issues to consider regarding South Korea's international policy, especially on the three global hotspot issues.
First, let's look at the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. South Korea is not only an ally of the United States, but also a close neighbor of Russia, so when the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out, South Korea followed the United States and Western countries and imposed sanctions against Russia. However, South Korea is not directly involved in military aid. Previously, the United States had purchased artillery shells from South Korea and then supported Ukraine. This has raised some questions that some believe Seoul may not have been aware. However, after President Yoon Seok-yue's visit to the United States, South Korea's policy towards Russia changed, saying that "it is possible to supply weapons to Ukraine." This shows that although South Korea has not made a clear statement on the issue of Ukraine, from the actual action, South Korea is on the side of the West.
Secondly, taking into account the situation on the Korean peninsula. After taking office, Mr. Yoon reversed his policy toward North Korea, designating it the "main enemy" and demanding that the United States redeploy nuclear weapons assets such as aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and strategic bombers to the periphery of the peninsula. Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea are conducting joint military exercises near the Korean Peninsula, just 40 kilometers from the border between the two Koreas. Against this backdrop, South Korea's becoming a non-permanent member is likely to take a tougher stance at the United Nations, especially when it comes to North Korea.
Finally, let us focus on the question of Taiwan. South Korea is a close neighbor of China and is therefore more sensitive to Taiwan. After Yoon took office, the deputy speaker of South Korea's National Assembly led a delegation to Taiwan to meet with Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen, although the South Korean government called it a "personal act." Later, President Yoon Seok-yue made the statement that "the Taiwan issue is not a China issue, but a global issue" and interfered in China's internal affairs. This triggered a strong rebuttal from the Chinese side. With South Korea's election as a non-permanent member, it is expected that its position on the Taiwan issue will become clearer in its statement to the United Nations. The joint statement signed between the Yoon Seok-hyeol administration and the United States mentions "opposing unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait", which is actually the US Taiwan Strait policy, indicating that South Korea is more inclined to the US position when it comes to the Taiwan issue.
In conclusion, South Korea's election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations is an important international commitment. However, South Korea should think more comprehensively about international issues from the perspective of global governance, rather than just representing its own position or continuing to act as a follower of the United States. If it doesn't, South Korea will squander this opportunity, lose trust from 180 countries, and possibly even damage its international reputation. Therefore, when elected as a non-permanent member, the Republic of Korea should proceed cautiously and take full account of its global responsibilities and implications.