Anchor: The 78th United Nations General Assembly debate kicked off on Tuesday, with world leaders addressing pressing global crises, including the war in Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Concerns about the North are likely to be central to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s keynote speech to the Assembly on Wednesday.
Kim Bum-soo recaps the session.

Report: 

[Sound bite: UN Secretary-General António Guterres]
“Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond... ”

The UN General Assembly debate began in New York on Tuesday with world leaders outlining their stances on key global issues.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the debate, expressing concerns about rising geopolitical tensions, before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for unity against Russia.

[Sound bite: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy]
“The goal of the present war against Ukraine is to turn our lands, our people, our resources into a weapon against you, against the international rules based order."
“Many seats in the General Assembly hall may become empty if Russia succeeds with its treachery and aggression.”

U.S. President Joe Biden condemned Russia for what he described as an "illegal war of conquest," and also highlighted efforts to reduce the threat of mass destruction as he called for the denuclearization of North Korea.

[Sound bite: US President Joe Biden]
"This year, we’ve safely destroyed at least — the last chemical munitions in the U.S. stockpile, fulfilling our commitment toward a world free of chemical weapons. And we condemn the DPRK’s continued violations of UN Security Council resolutions, but we are committed to diplomacy that would bring about the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

On the sidelines of the debate on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol sat down with Guterres and discussed concerns about North Korea and Russia, which he is also expected to address in his keynote speech on Wednesday.

In his speech, President Yoon is expected to issue a warning against looming military collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow following the recent summit between the two sides amid Russia's isolation in its war against Ukraine.

Whether that warning will be heeded, however, is unclear, with Russian President Vladimir Putin opting not to attend the gathering as questions abound about the UN’s waning influence.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.