Jeju Forum seeks online participation of North Korean education expert
The South Korean Ministry of Unification approved the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity organizers' request to contact the North Korean chief of education policy at Unesco to attend this year's session.
The 20th Jeju Forum takes place on Jeju Island in 2025.
JEJU SPECIAL SELF-GOVERNING PROVINCE
Jeju Island's local government and the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs are seeking to invite a North Korean education expert at Unesco to participate virtually in an annual security forum, Seoul's Ministry of Unification said on Tuesday.
According to the Unification Ministry, organizers of this year's Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, slated for June 24 to 26, are looking to bring in Dr. Chang Gwang-chol, the chief of education policy at Unesco, via teleconference.
To facilitate Chang's participation, the organizers asked the Unification Ministry to approve a request to contact the North Korean, and the ministry granted it, a Unification Ministry official told reporters.
Chang has worked at the agency's regional offices in Bangkok and Dakar, Senegal, and held several education policy posts at its Paris headquarters, according to Unesco's website. Before joining the United Nations agency, he worked at North Korea's education ministry.
If Chang decides to attend, he will become the first North Korean national to take part in the forum. It would also be the latest case of inter-Korean exchanges unfolding outside the political arena, following a North Korean football club's semifinal matches in Suwon last month.
"We will have to wait and see, as his participation hasn't been confirmed yet," the official said.
In a statement sent to reporters, the Foreign Ministry said, "Around 70 sessions are scheduled to take place at the upcoming Jeju Forum, and details regarding speakers and schedules are still being coordinated," adding that the speakers for the Unesco education session have also not been finalized.
Asked about reports that Chang is related to a senior North Korean government official, the ministry said that it does not have any information to verify or comment on the claim.
Launched in 2001, the forum aims to foster a shared vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula and across the wider region while addressing regional stability and security through international cooperation.
Yonhap
