TIMELINES: What isolationist regime reluctantly became a member UN on Sept. 17, 1991?

Saturday, September 17, 2011

What isolationist regime reluctantly became a member UN on Sept. 17, 1991?

THEN

On September 17, 1991, the Stalinist regime of North Korea reluctantly becomes a member of the United Nations. Fearing international isolation, North Korea joins to prevent South Korea from gaining more influence in the international community. South Korea considers the separate membership a victory, tantamount to the Norths ratifying the 1953 partition. In a statement explaining its position, the North Korean Foreign Ministry says, "As the South Korean authorities insist on their unilateral U.N. membership, if we leave this alone important issues related to the interests of the entire Korean nation would be dealt with in a biased manner on the U.N. rostrum. We cannot let it go that way," reports The New York Times.

NOW

North Koreas U.N. membership has been a troubled one. With reforms to its Stalinist system being negligible, North Korea remains a poor nation, dependent on foreign aid for food. In recent years North Korea has raised concerns in the west over its nuclear program, having exploded an alleged nuclear weapon. North Korea also has an increasingly hostile attitude towards South Korea. The north almost provoked war last year, with its sinking of a South Korean naval ship, and its shelling of a South Korean Island. North Korea has remained allied with China and Russia.