UN을 울린 한국 대사의 한 마디, “우린 남이 아니다”

 

 

When we first came to the council two years ago,

 

one of the first issues we tackled was the DPRK's missile, nuclear issues.

 

Our term on the council started and is ending with the North Korean issue.

 

This must be just coincidence, but I'm saying this with a heavy heart.

 

For the South Koreans, the people in North Korea are not just anybodies.

 

Millions of South Koreans still have our family members and relatives living in the North.

 

Even though we never hear from them,

 

even though by now the pain of the sepration has become the cold fact of life,just a few hundred kilometers away from where we live.

 

We cannot read when this is described in the COI report, without it, breaking our heart.

 

We cannot listen to the stories of North Korean defectors without sharing in their tears, without feeling as if we are there with them,

experiencing their tragedies.

 

We only hope that one day in the future, when we look back on what we did today,

 

we will be able to say that we did the right thing for the people of North Korea, for the lives of every man and woman, boy and girl who has the same human rights as the rest of us.

 

Thank you.