Jeju Forum Organizers Seek Virtual Participation by North Korean UNESCO Official

Jeju Island's local government and South Korea's foreign ministry are seeking to invite a North Korean education expert at UNESCO to participate virtually at this year's Jeju Forum for Peace & Prosperity. Organizers of the June 24-26 forum asked the unification ministry to approve contact with the North Korean national, and the ministry granted the request, a unification ministry official told reporters.

The individual has held education policy posts at UNESCO's regional offices in Bangkok and Dakar and at its Paris headquarters. The person previously worked at North Korea's education ministry.

The annual forum, launched in 2001, aims to foster a shared vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula and address regional stability through international cooperation. If the participation is confirmed, it would mark the first time a North Korean national has taken part in the forum.

The foreign ministry stated that around 70 sessions are scheduled and that details regarding speakers and schedules are still being coordinated. The ministry said it has no information to verify or comment on reports that the individual is related to a senior North Korean government official.

"We will have to wait and see as his participation hasn't been confirmed yet," the unification ministry official said.