N.Korean envoy calls for dismantlement of UNC

Seoul, Nov 4 Kim Song, North Korea's Ambassador to the UN, has called for the dismantlement of the US-led UN Command (UNC) on the Korean Peninsula, claiming it is only serving the political and military interests of Washington.

The envoy made the remarks at the fourth committee meeting of the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on October 27, accusing the US of using the command for the "occupation" of South Korea and exerting influence in the region, Yonhap News Agency reported late Wednesday night.

"My delegation holds that immediate measures should be taken to dismantle the UNC in South Korea, which abuses the name of the UN," he said.

Established in 1950 under a UN mandate in response to North Korea's military provocations, the UNC has played a role as the enforcer of the armistice agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Ambassador's remarks came as Pyongyang remains unresponsive to Washington's overtures for dialogue, demanding the US first retract what it calls "hostile policy" against the North.

The denuclearisation negotiations have been stalled since the Hanoi summit between the US and North Korea failed to produce a deal in February 2019.

During last week's meeting, the North Korean envoy also criticized Israel for what he called a crime against humanity on Palestin.

The attending Israeli representative slammed back, saying Kim should focus on his own country that "blocks the provision of aid to its own suffering people".

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor