South Korea votes in favor of UN resolution backing Palestinian membership

South Korea voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution supporting Palestine’s bid for UN membership last Friday.

The results of a vote on a resolution for the UN Security Council to reconsider and support the full membership of Palestine into the UN is displayed during a special session of the UN General Assembly, at the UN headquarters in New York City on May 10, 2024. [AFP/YONHAP]

South Korea voted in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution supporting Palestine’s bid for UN membership last Friday. This was a departure from its abstention during a 2012 vote to admit Palestine as an observer state to the UN and an unusual vote in favor of a motion that the United States opposed.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution last Friday calling on the Security Council to “positively consider Palestinian membership in the United Nations.” The resolution was supported by 143 countries, more than two-thirds of the 193 member states, including South Korea. Nine countries, including the United States and Israel, voted against, and 25 abstained.

According to the resolution, most member states believed Palestine "is fully qualified to join as a member state under the UN Charter.” The resolution also granted Palestine the exceptional right to participate in General Assembly meetings and various UN conferences. This is interpreted to mean that Palestine will at least be guaranteed the right to voice opinions, although it will not have the same voting rights as member states.

The resolution is, in fact, aimed at the United States since a motion in the Security Council on April 18 recommending Palestine’s membership to the UN General Assembly was rejected due to the veto from the United States, a permanent member of the Security Council.

To become a member of the UN, at least nine out of 15 Security Council members must vote in favor, and none of the five permanent members must exercise a veto. Afterward, two-thirds of all member states in the General Assembly must approve the membership.

“We have repeatedly considered voting in favor of the resolution as we believe that Palestine will act as a full member at an appropriate time in the future,” an official from Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday. "We comprehensively reviewed the implications and impacts for achieving peace in the Middle East.”

This means that South Korea also agreed with the international community’s method of resolving the Israel-Palestine issue, the so-called “two-state solution.”

Some have voiced concerns that publically splitting with the United States on such a sensitive issue could burden South Korea, but experts say that the choice may yield practical benefits that offset the diplomatic risks.

In this regard, the Foreign Ministry pointed to building bridges with the Global South — developing or non-aligned countries largely in Africa, Latin America and Asia — with future cooperation in mind.

“Algeria led the presentation and voting of the resolution on Palestine, this time on behalf of the Arab group and non-aligned group of countries,” an official from Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said. "Our vote in favor demonstrates our willingness to engage actively with these countries.”

BY LEE KEUN-PYUNG,PARK HYUN-JOO,LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]