Founded formally in 1948 under UN auspices, the then-fledgling Republic of Korea immediately became engulfed in Cold War power politics, which hampered its efforts to join the UN – a goal not achieved until 1991. Since then, however, the Republic has more than made up for its late arrival.
1948年在联合国主持下正式成立后，当时羽翼未丰的大韩民国立即被卷入到冷战的强权政治中，并在1991年前阻碍其加入联合国。但自那以后，韩国充分夺回了失去的时间。它在联合国安全理事会、经济社会理事会和人权理事会都发挥了积极作用——并踊跃投身与维和、发展合作、气候变化、核不扩散及人权相关的众多举措。