Letters | 70 years since Seoul win in Korean war, UN remains as relevant as ever

Name: 65 years after the armistice, veterans recall Korean war's horrors
Uploaded: 2020-09-25T11:00:16.000Z
Duration: 13 min 24 s
Description: 65 years after the armistice, veterans recall Korean war's horrors

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South Korean war veterans commemorate the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean war, at the War Memorial in Seoul on June 26. September 25 marks 70 years since UN forces recaptured Seoul. Photo: AFP

Letters

Published: 7:00pm, 25 Sep 2020Updated: 7:00pm, 25 Sep 2020

I am writing in response to “At 75, is the United Nations still relevant or necessary?” (September 20). As we mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, we shouldn’t focus just on the failures, but also remember one of the first great successes of the body: its decision to defend South Korea against North Korean aggression in 1950. That decision shows how states can choose to use the organisation not as a political tool for obstruction, but as a mechanism for diplomacy.

Today, we mark another important date. September 25 is the 70th anniversary of the recapture of Seoul by UN forces – made possible by a US-led coalition consisting of 21 member states, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Thailand, Turkey, and Canada – and a milestone in the defence of freedom.

As we reflect upon the meaning of that action, and the dramatic consequences it has had for shaping our modern world, we should keep in mind how South Korea has repaid the UN as an institution.

The country has long contributed to the international institution-building on which the UN focuses. A South Korean citizen, Ban Ki-moon, served as UN secretary general from 2007 to 2016, and made crucial contributions to fighting climate change. More recently, South Korea has helped other countries contain the Covid-19 pandemic.

Just as importantly, South Korea exemplifies a true responsible stakeholder – and ambassador – of the type of multilateral cooperation and values-based partnerships that the UN is built upon and stands for.

13:24

65 years after the armistice, veterans recall Korean war's horrors

Seventy-five years ago, the UN was relevant and necessary. It still is if we make it so, and use it the way it was intended – as a body supported by nation states, dedicated to maintaining international peace and security.