Chances of N. Korea becoming ITF member unlikely for now: secretary general

▲ This photo provided by the International Transport Forum (ITF) shows Secretary-General Young Tae Kim (2nd from L) speaking during a press conference at the 2024 ITF Summit in Leipzig, Germany, on May 23, 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

transport organization-N Korea

Chances of N. Korea becoming ITF member unlikely for now: secretary general

By Chang Dong-woo

LEIPZIG, Germany, May 23 (Yonhap) -- Chances of North Korea becoming a member of the International Transport Forum (ITF) appear to be impossible for now due to likely opposition from its members, the chief of the inter-organizational transport body said Thursday.

"In the case of North Korea, I think you can imagine that already a few countries would say no, perhaps including South Korea or the United States of America," ITF Secretary-General Young Tae Kim said in a group media interview in Leipzig held on the sidelines of the 2024 ITF Summit held in the eastern German city.

On Thursday, the ITF, part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, welcomed three new members -- Saudi Arabia, Oman and the Dominican Republic.

They were included after the forum's highest statutory body, the Council of Ministers of Transport, unanimously voted in favor for the affiliation of all three countries.

The new admissions have brought the number of ITF members to 69.

"Every (membership acceptance) decision is made on the basis of unanimity. So if one country says no, no country can join the ITF," Kim said when asked on the prospects of Pyongyang joining the forum, noting how even Israel decided to accept Saudi Arabia and Oman as new members.

The secretary general added, "As we grow, chances (of member admissions) are becoming less and less, because to reach a consensus is getting more difficult."

Kim, who had served as a career transport bureaucrat in South Korea before joining the ITF as its chief, pointed out that Russia in the past proposed inviting North Korea to the annual Leipzig summit as a guest.

The Russian proposal, however, fell through on opposition from other members, according to Kim.

"I think in reality, it doesn't seem possible for now, but we will see."

This year's gathering of top transport officials in Germany centers around discussions on the transport sector's role in environmental sustainability, and its impacts on climate, health and geopolitical crises.

The transport sector is known to be responsible for roughly 30 percent of global CO2 emissions.

(END)

<저작권자(c) 연합뉴스, 무단 전재-재배포, AI 학습 및 활용 금지>

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved