Politics17 September 1991

Simultaneous Admission of the Two Koreas to the UN

At the 46th UN General Assembly, North and South Korea became members of the United Nations together.

North Korea had long insisted that separate UN membership would perpetuate division and proposed that the two Koreas join with a single seat. But once Nordpolitik had won the South diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union (1990) and China signalled that it would not block the South’s application, the North switched to simultaneous admission in May 1991.

On 17 September 1991, at the 46th General Assembly, North and South Korea were admitted as the 160th and 161st members respectively, each recognized internationally as an independent state. The Inter-Korean Basic Agreement followed that December.

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States and rulers at the time: South Korea — President Roh Tae-woo
North Korea — Supreme Leader Kim Il Sung
Places: United Nations Headquarters

People

Roh Tae-woo1932 – 2021
related figure · 13th President (1988–1993). Announced the June 29 Declaration, became the first president directly elected under the 1987 constitution, and pursued Nordpolitik

Before and after

Earlier: 1990 Three-Party Merger
Later: 1991 Inter-Korean Basic Agreement

Themes that include this event

Changing Unification Policies1948 – 2018
From “march north” to the Panmunjom Declaration — inter-Korean relations from confrontation to dialogue, through joint statements and agreements to summits (up to 2018)