Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres in New York on February 23, local time, during which the two sides exchanged views on Korea-UN cooperation, Korea’s activities as a member of the Security Council, North Korea issues and key global issues.

Foreign Minister Cho commended Secretary-General Guterres’ leadership for resolving global issues, including the Gaza crisis, amid today's unprecedented polycrisis. He added that under its vision to serve as a Global Pivotal State, Korea will actively support the Secretary-General’s efforts for the sustainable development of the international community.

Foreign Minister Cho also conveyed Korea's strong commitment as a member of the UN Security Council for the 2024-2025 term to promoting international peace and security based on its accumulated experience in the field of peacekeeping operations (PKO) and peacebuilding. He explained that while serving on the Security Council, Korea will prioritize peacekeeping and peacebuilding; women, peace and security; cybersecurity; climate; and security. He added that, during its Security Council presidency in June, Korea intends to contribute in areas such as North Korea issues and cybersecurity and asked for cooperation of Secretary-General Guterres during its presidency.

Secretary-General Guterres welcomed Foreign Minister Cho’s first visit to the UN since his appointment as Foreign Minister and extended appreciation to the Korean government for its contributions to the UN. He emphasized that Korea’s bridging role at the Security Council has become increasingly vital, amidst the Security Council's failure to reach agreement on key issues. In particular, he expressed his confidence that Foreign Minister Cho, former Ambassador to the UN, will successfully lead Korea’s membership of the Security Council, and pledged cooperation and support of the UN.

Foreign Minister Cho and Secretary-General Guterres exchanged their views on global issues, including those concerning Myanmar, Afghanistan and the Israel-Hamas armed conflict. In particular, Secretary-General Guterres shared the progress in the UN’s investigation into the suspected participation by some personnel of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the attack on Israel, and Foreign Minister Cho recognized the UN's efforts to resolve the allegations by carrying out a transparent investigation.

Foreign Minister Cho commended Secretary-General Guterres for his active role in ensuring that North Korea refrains from nuclear and missile provocations and returns to denuclearization talks. He added that as a member of the Security Council, Korea will engage more actively with the international community to respond to North Korean provocations and to promote human rights in the North. In response, Secretary-General Guterres reaffirmed his commitment to cooperate towards North Korea’s denuclearization and improving its human rights situation.