S. Korea to request UNSC meeting in case of N.K. provocations if need be: Seoul envoyCambodian PM Extends Condolences to Japan over Recent Earthquake

South Korea will directly request a U.N. Security Council (UNSC) meeting in the event of a North Korean provocation if needed, its top envoy to the United Nations said Tuesday, as Seoul has begun its two-year term as a non-permanent UNSC member. Ambassador Hwang Joon-kook made the remarks in a meeting with reporters following a flag installation ceremony for the newly elected UNSC members for the 2024-2025 period at U.N. headquarters in New York. "Although there are no North Korea-related issues on the UNSC agenda in January, the Republic of Korea has the right to request the convening of a U.N. Security Council meeting if need be," Hwang told reporters. "During today's breakfast meeting, I asked other member countries, including the chair country, to cooperate," he added. Hwang also touched on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent characterization of inter-Korean relations as "two hostile countries in a state of war." Kim's such description came during a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of th e ruling Workers' Party last week. "This is a development that should not be just shrugged off," he said. This month, South Korea began its UNSC member term along with Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone and Slovenia. At the flag installation event, Hwang called for a "collective and resolute" response to current global challenges. "In recognizing the serious challenges that confront our world today, we acknowledge that expectations for the role of the Security Council have never been greater," he said. "Indeed, the complexity of today's interconnected global issues necessitates a collective and resolute response of the Security Council." Pointing to escalating security threats on the Korean Peninsula, Hwang said that South Korea approaches UNSC peace efforts with "heightened seriousness." "In solidarity with those facing similar challenges across the world, we aspire to create more success stories that resonate globally," he said. "And we are confident that it is possible to do so, by working together genui nely, for our shared objectives of promoting international peace and prosperity, as well as upholding human rights and the rule of law," he added. Source: Yonhap News Agency Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, has extended his deepest condolences to Japan over the recent earthquake, believing that Japan will swiftly overcome the disaster. 'I feel extremely saddened to learn of the many casualties and severe damage to property and infrastructure resulting from the massive earthquake that hit Ishikawa prefecture on New Year's day,' he wrote in a condolence message to H.E. Kishida Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan. 'On behalf of the Royal Government and people of Cambodia, I would like to express my profound condolences and sympathy to the Government and people of Japan, particularly those affected by the disaster. I also wish the injured a speedy and full recovery,' the Cambodian Premier added. Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet also expressed his confidence that under H.E. Kishida Fumio's able leadership, together with diligent Japanese rescue teams and local authorities, Japan will be able to rapidly overcome this disaster with resilience. Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse