UN General Assembly
1951

51. As the representatives know, South Africa has always maintained that it cannot assume military commitments in the Far East, as its own position on the African continent would render such commitments unrealistic. However, my Government decided, in the case of the Korean conflict, to give more than moral support to the principles of collective security. We realized that if the United Nations were to be enabled to present a united front to the aggressor, on the occasion of this first challenge to the system of collective security, it would be necessary for us all to make such contributions as our respective circumstances permitted. The Union of South Africa, therefore, has at this moment a fighter squadron operating in Korea, a squadron which has borne its share of loss and which, we believe, has taken a not unworthy part in our collective military effort.