This is the meeting room of the United Nations Security Council in New York. (Yonhap News)

By Park Hye Ri

The country has begun its two-year term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

In June last year, the nation was elected for the 2024-25 term with 180 votes from the U.N.'s 192 member states in a vote at UN headquarters in New York. This is the first time in 11 years for the country to reenter the UNSC, following stints in 1996-97 and 2013-14.

The UNSC consists of five permanent (the U.S., China, Russia, U.K. and France) and 10 non-permanent members, the latter of which each serves a two-year term. Primarily responsible for maintaining global peace and security, the body is the only institution that makes legally binding decisions for UN member states; it also consults on and seeks solutions to serious challenges to peace and security, including armed conflicts worldwide.

"We will actively achieve our vision of becoming a global pivotal state as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for the 2024-25 term," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "As a non-permanent UNSC member over the next two years, we will play a responsible role to ensure that the UNSC effectively responds to critical issues endangering global peace and security such as the North Korea issue, war in Ukraine and Israeli-Palestinian problem."

"We will also contribute to promoting UN peacekeeping operations and peacebuilding and agenda related to women, peace and national security and lead talks on tackling newly emerging security threats including those of cyberspace and climate," the ministry added.

hrhr@korea.kr