[EYE] Service to society, service to Koreas

On Dec. 22, 2014, the representatives of 15 UN Security Council member states gathered at its chamber, sharing harrowing accounts of North Korea’s human rights violations and exploring ways to hold the Kim Jong-un regime to account.

Oh Joon, then Seoul’s ambassador to the UN, took over the microphone as the session drew to an end. But instead of vilifying Kim and his executives, he spoke, in a solemn, placid manner, for millions of South Koreans whose left-behind loved ones are suffering across the border. 

“For South Koreans, people in North Korea are not just anybodies,” he said.

“Even though we never hear from them and even though by now the pain of separation has become a cold fact of life, we know that they are there, just a few hundred kilometers away from where we live.

“We only hope that one day in the future, when we look back on what we did today, we’ll 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.”

The brief, offhand speech touched the hearts of not only other UN envoys but also the South Koreans back home, especially the young generations who are relatively less interested in North Korea’s human rights situation or a unification. The clip went viral, and Oh’s social network accounts were instantly flooded with friend requests.

“To others, the human rights violations may just seem gruesome and barbaric. But to us, it’s something that’s happening to our sisters and brothers. So I thought I had to share how we feel about it,” Oh said during a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

After an illustrious 38-year career, the ambassador retired from the Foreign Ministry last December, now teaching at Kyung Hee University’s Graduate Institute of Peace Studies in Seoul.

Throughout his four terms at the UN, he witnessed the living history of a divided Korea. Among the most memorable episodes was a flag-raising ceremony marking the two Koreas’ joining in 1991, a work he was involved in as a young second secretary at the mission.

“As the two flags were put up, I thought one day, before I retire from the diplomatic service, they might merge into one, but that never happened, to my disappointment,” he said.

“Outside the fences, protestors were yelling ‘Korea is one, Korea is one!’ saying they should have joined after a unification. That is still vivid in my memory as if I still hear their voices -- it made me think about our people and national division.”

As the ambassador, Oh was behind the making of the two strongest sets of UNSC sanctions against North Korea, Resolution 2270 and 2321, each adopted last March and November.

Concerns have been growing, however, Beijing may loosen its enforcement in the face of plans to station a US missile shield in South Korea, which it vehemently decries.

Yet Oh was adamant that China will be one of the biggest victims of a nuclear-armed North, which would shake the regional strategic balance, prompt other countries to take countermeasures and further damage its interests in turn.

“If North Korea indeed becomes a nuclear weapons state, others would strive to restore the status quo, matching the capability by whatever means. That’s the least China would want to see in its security strategy,” he said.

“But I think all parties can put down all of their concerns and have frank discussions to find the right solution. Just because you don’t like others’ decisions, you can’t respond with economic and cultural measures. It doesn’t help anyone.”

As one of closest diplomats to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Oh has been assisting him before and after their return home.

The interview was carried out before Ban backed out of a presidential bid Wednesday. Asked on the issue Thursday, Oh displayed respect for Ban’s decision, offering an upbeat outlook for his future contribution to society.

“As a global leader, I believe (Ban) will be able to make various contributions to the international community. At home, he also has a role as a mentor in society, whoever becomes the next president,” Oh said.

In the eyes of the seasoned diplomat, the ongoing political tumult, set off by a presidential scandal and ensuing impeachment campaign, could provide a chance to minimize “growing pains” from the country’s rapid economic ascent.

“There is a gap between the people’s expectations and what’s really happening in our society,” Oh said.

“The right way to go is to match the reality with the expectations, and we need to think about how a political leadership can meet them.”

At 62, Oh is enjoying his days as a “freeman” -- he was given, for the first time in nearly four decades, the time to think about what he would make of the rest of his life.

He has a long-cherished vision: becoming a boost to civil society, with a focus on the rights of those with disabilities or North Korean defectors, capitalizing on his UN experience including as president of the Economic and Social Council.

“Looking at history, we, as a human species, have been taking a certain direction that we share individual knowledge and build on past achievements. I think that’s basically what humanity is about -- a process,” Oh said.

“Where the process is going? Honestly I don’t know. But there must be meanings, and I want to contribute to them.”

By Shin Hyon-hee  (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)