The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) selected “Discussions on Territorial Issues in the United Nations and Case Study,” published by the Northeast Asian History Foundation last January, as an outstanding academic book in the field of social science.

The book explores how territorial issues have been discussed and resolved in the United Nations, centering especially on its political arms. In dealing with territorial issues and other various international disputes, the United Nations has historically preferred political approaches—where a wide variety of dispute resolution techniques can be employed—to mere legal solutions. Indeed, there have been only few cases where the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly recommend territorial issues should be resolved through the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Domestic studies on how to address territorial disputes, however, have predominantly been focused on legal resolution through ICJ. This book is a great complement to existing studies in that it reviews the way that these issues have been dealt with by the United Nations and its political organs.

A universal organization with wide-ranging mandates and responsibilities to tackle international or global agendas, the United Nations has played an integral role in resolving various disputes in the international community. Against this backdrop, “Discussions on Territorial Issues in the United Nations and Case Study” holds great significance as a book that contributes to policy discussions as to how to leverage the United Nations in the management and resolution of the ongoing dispute over the Dokdo islets and other territorial issues around the Korean Peninsula.