President Biden condemns North Korea’s violations and criticizes Russia’s invasion in UN General Assembly speech

US President Condemns North Korea’s Violations of UN Resolutions at UN General Assembly

In his speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, US President Joe Biden strongly criticized North Korea for repeatedly violating UN Security Council resolutions. Addressing the assembly on September 19, President Biden stated, “The United States condemns the fact that North Korea continues to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.” He emphasized the US commitment to diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Despite highlighting the North Korean nuclear issue, President Biden did not mention the recently exposed arms trade between North Korea and Russia. Nonetheless, his stance this year appears consistent with his previous statements on the matter, demonstrating a continued focus on the core problems and potential solutions related to North Korea.

Criticism of Russia’s Actions in Ukraine

President Biden also used his speech to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. Asserting that “only Russia is responsible for this war,” he called for an immediate end to the conflict. President Biden cautioned that Russia’s desire for peace hinges on Ukraine’s capitulation, warning that if Ukraine were to be divided, the independence of other nations would also be at risk.

Highlighting the need to resist aggression and prevent future attacks, President Biden challenged the international community, asking, “If we abandon the core principle of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected?” He stressed the importance of confronting the invasion of Ukraine to safeguard global peace and security.

Deliberate Omission of Criticism Towards China

In contrast to previous speeches, President Biden refrained from directly criticizing China during his address. Notably, he did not mention the ‘Taiwan Strait’ or China’s attempts to change the status quo, which were discussed in his previous speech. Instead, President Biden emphasized the need to responsibly manage the competition between the US and China to prevent conflict. He expressed the willingness to cooperate with China on matters dependent on joint efforts.

Conclusion

President Biden’s speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly highlighted his condemnation of North Korea’s violations of UN resolutions and his firm stance against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While refraining from criticizing China directly, President Biden emphasized the importance of managing competition between the US and China responsibly. His address underscored the US commitment to diplomacy and resolving global challenges through cooperation.

Leaders’ Speeches and General Debate

The 78th United Nations General Assembly commenced on September 5, with the general discussion featuring speeches from leaders worldwide beginning on September 19. This year, 196 countries will deliver speeches, with 98 leaders, including the US, presenting in person. South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol spoke on the morning of September 20, followed by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the afternoon of September 21. The North Korean speech, delivered by an ambassador-level figure, is scheduled for the last day of the general debate on September 26.

This article was written by Ham Ji-ha for VOA News.

US President Joe Biden repeatedly condemned North Korea’s violations of UN Security Council resolutions in a speech at the UN General Assembly. Russia, which invaded Ukraine, called for an immediate end to the war and raised its voice calling for the world to stop Russia. Correspondent Ham Ji-ha reports from United Nations Headquarters in New York.

President Biden said on the 19th, “The United States condemns the fact that North Korea continues to violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.”

[녹취: 바이든 대통령] “We condemn the fact that the DPRK continues to violate the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. But we are committed to diplomacy to ensure the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

President Biden said this while talking about issues related to weapons of mass destruction in his general discussion speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly on this day.

He then reaffirmed the US government’s approach to the North Korean nuclear issue, saying, “We are committed to diplomacy for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

However, the issue of arms trade between North Korea and Russia, which has recently come to light, was not mentioned.

President Biden also condemned North Korea in a speech last year, saying, “Despite our efforts to initiate serious and sustained diplomacy, North Korea continues to flagrantly violate United Nations resolutions.”

Also, in 2021, his first year in office, he issued a message saying, “We will pursue serious and sustained diplomacy to achieve complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.”

Therefore, it can be interpreted that the core of the North Korean problem and its solutions have been discussed at a level similar to previous years this year.

President Biden raised his voice criticizing Russia for invading Ukraine.

Specifically, he noted that “only Russia is responsible for this war, and only Russia has the power to end this war immediately.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauds during US President Joe Biden’s keynote speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 19th.

[녹취: 바이든 대통령] “Russia is solely responsible for this war. Only Russia has the power to end this war immediately. Only Russia stands in the way of peace because Russia’s price for peace is the capitulation of Ukraine, the territory of Ukraine and the children of Ukraine.”

He also criticized, saying, “Only Russia stands in the way of peace,” and “the price of peace for Russia is the surrender of Ukraine, Ukrainian territory, and Ukrainian children.”

He continued, “Russia believes that the world is tired and will allow Ukraine to be brutalized without any consequences.”

[녹취: 바이든 대통령] “Russia believes that the world will become weary, allow brutality to Ukraine without consequence. But we ask you this: if we abandon the core principle of the United States to appease an aggressor, can any member state in this body feel confident that they are protected? If you allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation safe? I would respectfully suggest that the answer is no. We must resist this aggression today and prevent other would-be attackers tomorrow.”

“If we were to abandon America’s core principles to appease an aggressor,” he asked, “what member of the United Nations would be confident that they were being protected?”

He also said, “If Ukraine is allowed to be divided, what kind of country’s independence will be preserved?” and the answer to this is “no.”

In addition, President Biden said, “We must confront this invasion today and prevent another invader tomorrow.”

US President Joe Biden delivered a keynote speech at the 78th United Nations General Assembly held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on the 19th.

On this day, President Biden seemed to refrain from criticizing China.

In particular, messages related to the ‘Taiwan Strait’ or ‘China’s attempt to change the status quo’ mentioned last year did not appear in this year’s speech.

President Biden said, “I want to state a clear and consistent position on China,” and “We want to responsibly manage the competition between our two countries so that it does not escalate into conflict.” He explained, “As I said before, we’re trying to de-risk, not disengage, China.”

[녹취: 바이든 대통령] “Regarding China, I want to be clear and consistent: we are trying to responsibly manage the competition between our countries so that it does not lead to conflict. I have said that we are in favor of De-risking, not disengagement with China…But we are also ready to cooperate with China on issues for progress that depend on our common efforts.”

He added, “We are ready to work with China to develop issues that depend on our joint efforts.”

President Biden’s speech on this day lasted about 28 minutes.

As usual, President Biden was the second speaker, following Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Leaders and representatives from all over the world gathered in the conference hall of the United Nations General Assembly where the speech was held, and one representative from North Korea was also present and watched President Biden’s speech.

The 78th United Nations General Assembly was officially opened on the 5th, and the ‘general discussion’, a speech by the leaders of each country, began on the 19th.

This year, 196 countries have announced speeches, and the main figures of 98 of them, including the United States, will speak in person.

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol took the podium for the 18th time on the morning of the 20th, the second day of the speech, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s speech was scheduled for the afternoon of the 21st, the third day.

The North Korean speech was scheduled for the 26th, the last day of the general debate.

North Korea has announced a speech by an ambassador-level figure, and it is currently expected that North Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, will be the speaker, as in previous years.

This is Hamjiha from VOA News.

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