Indian Council of World Affairs

Abstract: North Korea’s membership in the United Nations (UN) has been a source of constant tension and frustration. Despite being a member state for over three decades, North Korea has consistently defied international norms and pursued a nuclear weapons program, undermining the UN’s mission of promoting peace and security. 

Introduction

North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), along with South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), were together admitted to the United Nations (UN) in 1991. Immediately after the end of the Second World War, the two countries became deeply embroiled by the Cold War politics, which resulted in both nations being simultaneously admitted only after 46 years of the UN’s formation. 

The DPRK and the ROK had both applied for membership of the UN in 1949, but due to the opposition of the then-Soviet Union, there was no action taken.[1] Later, the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 further delayed any action on the admission of the two countries till 1991. Eventually, on 8 August 1991, the UN Security Council (UNSC) passed Resolution 702, which recommended North and South Korea to the General Assembly for membership.[2] Thereafter, on 17 September 1991, the General Assembly under Resolution 46/1 accepted the two countries as members of the UN.[3] It has been 33 years since the two countries joined together in the UN.

North Korea and South Korea’s Diverging Paths 

Although the two countries were inducted as members in the same year, the progress and contribution of the two nations over the 33 years have been divergent within the UN framework. An overview of the records shows that North Korea has been consistently under the review of the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly for severe human rights abuses, forced labour, arbitrary detention and use of torture. South Korea, on the other hand, has made significant strides in improving its human rights record and cooperates with the UN human rights mechanisms. North Korea also faces severe economic sanctions imposed by the UN due to its nuclear weapons program and violations regarding proliferation. Whereas, South Korea has been actively promoting peace and security initiatives along with international economic development projects supported by the UN. 

North Korea’s Defiance and the UN’s Response 

The status of North Korea in terms of its membership in the UN has been quite contrary to the mandate for member nations. Thirty-three years have passed since DPRK’s admission to the UN, but the country is no less than a reclusive state in the functioning of the global multilateral organisation. After the acceptance of North Korea as a member in 1991, the UN imposed its first comprehensive sanctions on North Korea on 14 October 2006, with the landmark UNSC Resolution 1718[4] in response to Pyongyang’s first nuclear test on 9 October 2006.[5] The resolution included an arms embargo, travel bans, freezing of assets and establishing a committee to monitor the implementation of the sanctions. 

There have been nine major sanction resolutions by the UN against North Korea since 2006, with each resolution condemning DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile activities. The last of the major sanctions against North Korea was through Resolution 2397 (2017), which was unanimously adopted on 22 December 2017[6] in response to the launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile on 28 November 2017.[7] Previous to this, on 3 September 2017, the North Korean state conducted its sixth nuclear test, which resulted in the UNSC adopting Resolution 2375 (2017),[8] further tightening sanctions against Pyongyang that were in place through Resolution 2371 (2017).[9] Even though severe measures were imposed to restrict DPRK’s ability to fund its nuclear and missile programmes, much of the sanctions have had no impact on North Korea’s ambitions, as is evident from Pyongyang’s six nuclear tests since 2006,[10] with speculations of the seventh on the horizon. 

The UN Panel of Experts 

Over the years, the UN adopted dozens of resolutions pursuant to strengthening and broadening resolution 1718 (2006) on the DRPK. One of the crucial resolutions, namely 1874, was adopted in 2009, soon after North Korea’s second nuclear test, which created an expert panel to assist the Resolution 1718 (2006) committee in carrying out its mandate by gathering information and providing recommendations.[11] This Panel of Experts had been operational since 2009, but on 28 March 2024 the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution on account of the veto cast by the Russian Federation, which otherwise would have extended its mandate till 30 April 2025.[12] France, Japan, South Korea, the US and the UK in a joint statement following Russia’s veto, expressed disappointment and stated that Russia’s actions undermined international peace and security, enabling North Korea to pursue nuclear capabilities with greater impunity.[13]

For the first time in 14 years, the panel that was renewed annually by the UNSC was blocked owing to the veto imposed by Russian Federation.[14] The reason for the veto, as stated by Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN, was that extending the Panel of Experts’ mandate would not contribute to normalising the situation on the Korean Peninsula as “the basic mechanisms of the sanctions are failing.”[15] The Russian Ambassador underscored that the indefinite maintenance of sanctions had severe humanitarian consequences, which therefore requires updated parameters.[16] Later, Russia, per its announcement to pursue a new draft resolution to extend the panel’s mandate for a year, did circulate the first draft on 12 April 2024, but then it paused the negotiations on 30 April 2024, right when the panel’s mandate expired.[17] The sanctions imposed still remains but the UN mandated Panel of Experts’ operational since 2009 stands terminated for the time being and will no longer be able to gather information and provide recommendation to assist the Resolution 1718 (2006) Committee set up for monitoring implementations of the sanctions. 

North Korea’s Continued Violations 

Paying no heed to international concerns, North Korea has been continuously test-firing ballistic missiles of various ranges. Pyongyang has also abolished the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country of the DPRK, the National Economic Cooperation Bureau and the Kumgangsan International Tourism Administration on 15 January 2024,[18] thereby leading to a potentially more precarious security environment in the Korean Peninsula. Additionally, on 13 September 2024, the North Korean state media showed a rare glimpse of a secret facility apparently to produce weapons-grade uranium, being inspected by their leader Kim Jong-un.[19]

These developments further reveal how Pyongyang is possibly working towards exponentially increasing its nuclear weapons stockpile. Furthermore, the growing tactical cooperation with Russia through the signing of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024 with the provision of mutual assistance[20] along with the 1961 China-DPRK treaty being renewed in 2021 for another 20 years[21] can only lead to Pyongyang becoming more assertive in its pursuit of advancing space, military and nuclear weapons technology. 

The Failure of the UNSC 

For more than 14 years, the efforts of the UNSC to coax the North Korean state from going rogue and acquiring advanced nuclear weapons technology have seemingly failed. The expiration of the UN Panel of Experts on 28 March 2024 can be considered the final nail in the efforts of the UNSC, but the ground reality remains that North Korea had been least impacted by all forms of sanctions to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme. There are always contestations on how North Korea has been receiving support from certain countries to violate or bypass all the imposed sanctions. Such a situation only solidifies the brewing perception of how the UNSC, in its failure to reinvent itself to adapt to evolving security challenges, has become highly polarised and holds global security to ransom with veto powers in the hands of a few permanent members. 

The UN considers that the DPRK is seemingly investing all its efforts to develop its military power rather than its economy for the welfare of its people.[22] On the other side, the North Korean regime considers that its nuclear and weapons programme is fundamental to their security from external invasion as well as domestic legitimacy. Many experts have also started to express the idea of North Korea giving up its nuclear weapons programme as unrealistic. In fact, North Korea in September 2023 adopted a constitutional amendment to enshrine its policy on nuclear force as “the basic law of the state,”[23] to deter what is stated as provocations from the US.[24]

Conclusion 

The tug-of-war between the DPRK and the UN is being won by Pyongyang without even participating in the contest. The international community faces a difficult future with a nuclear-armed North Korea. The risk of proliferation to other rogue states increases, and the Korean Peninsula remains a tinderbox for potential conflict. The ineffectiveness of the UNSC highlights the need for reformed multilateralism in a world where the old order is crumbling. The future of the Korean Peninsula remains shrouded in uncertainty. Only time will tell if a peaceful solution can be found or if the situation escalates towards a more dangerous outcome.

***** 

*Dr. Tunchinmang Langel, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA).
Disclaimer: The views expressed are personal.

Endnotes

[1] Robert King, 2021, “The Two Koreas Mark 30 Years of UN Membership: The Road to Membership,” KEI, September 24, 2021, https://keia.org/the-peninsula/the-two-koreas-mark-30-years-of-un-membership-the-road-to-membership/ (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[2] UNSCR, 1991, “Admission of New Members to the United Nations,” August 8, 1991, http://unscr.com/en/resolutions/doc/702 (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[3] Security Council Report, 1991, “Admission of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea to membership in the United Nations,” September 17, 1991, https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/atf/cf/%7B65BFCF9B-6D27-4E9C-8CD3-CF6E4FF96FF9%7D/UNMembers%20ARES%2046%201.pdf (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[4] United Nations, 2006, “Resolution 1718 (2006),” October 14, 2006, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n06/572/07/pdf/n0657207.pdf (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[5] CTBTO, 2006, “2006 DPRK Announced Nuclear Test,” October 9, 2006, https://www.ctbto.org/our-work/detecting-nuclear-tests/2006-dprk-nuclear-test (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[6] United Nations, 2017, “Resolution 2397(2017) Adopted by the Security Council at its 8151st meeting, on December 22, 2017,” December 22, 2017, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n17/463/60/pdf/n1746360.pdf (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[7] Zachary Cohen, Ryan Browne, Nicole Gaouette and Taehoon Lee, 2017, “New missile test shows North Korea capable of hitting all of US mainland,” CNN, November 30, 2017,

https://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/28/politics/north-korea-missile-launch/index.html (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[8] United Nations, 2017, “Resolution 2375 (2017) Adopted by the Security Council at its 8042nd meeting, on

11 September 2017,” September 11, 2017, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n17/283/67/pdf/n1728367.pdf (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[9] United Nations, 2017, “Resolution 2371 (2017) Adopted by the Security Council at its 8019th meeting, on

5 August 2017,” August 5, 2017, https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/n17/246/68/pdf/n1724668.pdf (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[10] TASS Russian News Agency, 2017, “North Korea likely to have conducted another nuclear test — Japanese TV,” September 3, 2017, https://tass.com/world/963356 (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[11] Joseph Dethomas, 2024, “UN Panel of Experts: The Final Act,” 38 North, April 11, 2024, https://www.38north.org/2024/04/un-panel-of-experts-the-final-act/ (Accessed September 18, 2024)

[12] United Nations, 2024, “Security Council Fails to Extend Mandate for Expert Panel Assisting Sanctions Committee on Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” March 28, 2024, https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15648.doc.htm (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[13] Gov.UK, 2024, “Joint Statement following Russia’s veto of the mandate renewal of the UN Security Council’s 1718 Committee Panel of Experts,” March 28, 2024, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/joint-statement-following-russias-veto-of-the-mandate-renewal-of-the-un-security-councils-1718-committee-panel-of-experts (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[14] News on AIR, 2024, “Russia vetoes UN panel’s mandate to monitor North Korea sanctions,” March 29, 2024, https://www.newsonair.gov.in/russia-vetoes-un-panels-mandate-to-monitor-north-korea-sanctions/ (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[15] United Nations, 2024, “General Assembly debates Russia’s veto of DPR Korea sanctions panel,” April 11, 2024, https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148431 (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[16] United Nations, 2024, “General Assembly debates Russia’s veto of DPR Korea sanctions panel,” April 11, 2024, https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148431 (Accessed September 18, 2024).

[17] Security Council Report, 2024, “DPRK (North Korea)”, April 30, 2024, https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/monthly-forecast/2024-05/dprk-north-korea-26.php (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[18] Naenara, 2024, “Decision of DPRK Supreme People’s Assembly,” KCNA Watch, January 16, 2024, https://kcnawatch.org/newstream/1705406644-776032263/decision-of-dprk-supreme-people%e2%80%99s-assembly/ (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[19] Hyung-Jin Kim And Kim Tong-Hyung, 2024, “North Korea gives a glimpse of a secretive uranium-enrichment facility as Kim pushes for more nukes,” AP News, September 13, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-nuclear-uranium-kim-feedc5606c455a94fcee67fa50e1236d (Accessed September 19, 2024)

[20] Kwak Yeon-soo, 2024, “Russia, North Korea upgrade partnership to deepen military and security ties,” June 19, 2024, https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/06/103_377012.html (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[21] Khang Vu, 2024, “Why China and North Korea decided to renew a 60-year-old treaty,” July 30, 2021, https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/why-china-north-korea-decided-renew-60-year-old-treaty (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[22] United Nations, 2024, “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Should Develop Economy, Not Missiles, Civil Society Representative Tells Security Council, Highlighting Population’s Plight,” June 12, 2024, https://press.un.org/en/2024/sc15726.doc.htm (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[23] Al Jazeera, 2023, “North Korean parliament enshrines nuclear ambitions in constitution,” September 27, 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/27/north-korean-parliament-enshrines-nuclear-ambitions-in-constitution (Accessed September 19, 2024).

[24] Soo-Hyang Choi and Hyonhee Shin, 2023, “North Korea amends constitution on nuclear policy, cites US provocations,” Reuters, September 28, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-parliament-amends-constitution-enshrine-nuclear-policy-kcna-2023-09-27/ (Accessed September 19, 2024).