President Moon Jae-in gives animal mascots for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games as a present to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a meeting at the U.N. headquarters in New York, Tuesday. / Yonhap

Guterres supports diplomatic solution for N. Korea issue


By Kim Rahn

South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to broker talks with North Korea to resolve the tension surrounding the peninsula, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.

Guterres stressed that a diplomatic solution and the international community's unity in addressing the North's nuclear and missile threats were necessary.

Moon and Guterres discussed the issue in a meeting Tuesday during the President's visit to New York for the U.N. General Assembly.

The meeting came about a week after the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) adopted a new resolution with tougher sanctions on Pyongyang following North Korea's sixth nuclear test.

Guterres said he has paid attention to the new South Korean government's North Korea policy, according to presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun. "Guterres expressed support for the denuclearization of the peninsula and the full implementation of the UNSC resolution," Park said. "He stressed the issue should be addressed through the international community's unity and a diplomatic solution, not a military one."

Korea, US, Japan vow 'maximum pressure' on N. Korea 2017-09-20 14:00  |  Foreign Affairs Seoul says Trump remarks show firm US resolve to maintain peace 2017-09-20 10:51  |  Foreign Affairs Nations rush to expel North Korean envoys 2017-09-19 18:33  |  North Korea In response, Moon requested the U.N. chief play an active role in the resolution of the issue fundamentally and comprehensively.

The request came after Guterres said in mid-August, after North Korea's test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, that he would broker talks with North Korea. "My good offices are always available, and I conveyed this message yesterday to the representatives of the six-party talks," he told reporters Aug. 16.

Park said Guterres agreed on the need for the international community's stern action considering the seriousness of the North Korea issue. "Along with U.N. members' cooperation to carry out the UNSC resolution, he said he would make efforts as soon as possible to address the issue through close cooperation with Seoul."

Regarding Moon's request for "efforts to broker dialogue," Park said it did not specifically refer to inter-Korean talks or talks between the U.S. and North Korea. The two also did not discuss Guterres visiting Pyongyang himself or sending a special envoy, according to Park.

After talks with Guterres, Moon met 300 Koreans living in the New York area.

He said he understands their concerns over the North Korea issue in their homeland. "It is a difficult task, but I'll make every effort for peace, so overseas Koreans like you will be relieved," the President said.

Moon also called for their support to promote the PyeongChang Winter Olympics to be held in February.

"Ironically, sporting events held in Korea, one of the world's last divided countries, have always become occasions for global peace and harmony," he said, adding that Eastern and Western nations during the Cold War participated in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and South Korea and Japan set a future-oriented cooperative relationship during the 2002 World Cup.

"I believe the PyeongChang Olympics will be an event of peace and unity for the world, and an occasion to heal South Korean citizens who underwent a harsh political convulsion last winter," he said, referring to the presidential corruption scandal involving his predecessor Park Geun-hye.

On Wednesday, Moon will have a meeting with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and multiple bilateral talks with leaders of several countries. He will also attend an awards ceremony to receive the Global Citizen Award from the Atlantic Council.


유엔총장 "核전쟁 우려, 냉전이후 최고…정치력 필요한 시점"

유엔총회 일반토의 개막연설…'수백만명 두려움속에 지내'

안토니우 구테흐스 유엔 사무총장은 19일(현시기간) '전 세계는 핵전쟁을 우려하고 있다'면서 '오늘날 핵무기에 대한 걱정은 냉전 종식 이후로 가장 높은 수준'이라며 북핵 사태의 조속한 해결을 강도 높게 촉구했다.

구테흐스 총장은 이날 뉴욕 유엔본부에서 열린 '제72차 유엔총회 일반토의'(General Debate) 개막연설을 통해 이같이 말하고 '핵무기 사용은 상상할 수도 없는 일'이라면서 '수백만 명의 사람들이 북한의 도발적인 핵·미사일 실험 때문에 두려움 속에 지내고 있다'고 우려했다.

그는 '험악한 발언들은 자칫 치명적인 오해로 이어질 수 있다'고 최근 도널드 트럼프 미 대통령과 북한 김정은 국방위원장 간 '말 전쟁'을 지적하고 '이제는 정치력이 필요한 시점'이라고 강조했다.

구테흐스 총장의 이 같은 언급은 북핵ㆍ미사일 사태 해결을 위해 군사적 선택보다 외교적 절충 등에 집중해야 한다는 뜻을 내비친 것으로 풀이된다.

구테흐스 총장은 이 밖에 파리 기후변화협정의 충실한 이행과 로힝야족을 상대로 한 미얀마 정부군의 무차별 군사작전 중단 등을 촉구했다.

한편, 유엔은 이날부터 각국의 정상급 인사들이 참석해 시급한 국제현안들을 다루는 일반토의에 들어갔다.

문재인 대통령·도널드 트럼프 미 대통령을 비롯한 국가원수 90명, 부통령 5명, 정부 수반 37명, 부총리 3명, 장관급 50여 명 등 190여 개국 대표들이 기조연설을 한다.

트럼프 대통령은 이날 기조연설을 했으며, 문재인 대통령은 21일 예정돼 있다. (연합뉴스)