North Korea's virtual speech at Jeju Forum canceled

A planned virtual speech by a North Korean official at the Jeju Forum has been canceled, according to an official from the Jeju Peace Institute, which organizes the event. UNESCO informed the forum that a different education official, not the initially proposed North Korean representative, would participate.

The forum had been working to secure Dr. Jang Gwang-cheol, head of the education policy division in UNESCO's Policy and Lifelong Learning Section, as a virtual speaker for a session on "UNESCO and the Future of Education." The Ministry of Unification had previously confirmed that the forum's organizers had filed a report for contact with North Korean residents, which the ministry had accepted.

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UNESCO informed the forum that a different education official, not the initially proposed North Korean representative, would participate.

However, a Jeju Forum official told the Hankyoreh newspaper that UNESCO contacted them last week to announce a change in speaker, replacing Dr. Jang with another UNESCO official without providing a reason. Dr. Jang holds a doctorate in education from Kim Hyong Jik University of Education in North Korea and has held various positions within UNESCO headquarters and regional offices after working for North Korea's Ministry of Education.

The attempt to include Dr. Jang in the forum was seen as an opportunity for inter-Korean exchange on an international multilateral stage, particularly in a non-political field. The cancellation comes as North Korea maintains its hostile policies toward South Korea under the banner of "two hostile states." It is possible that North Korea withdrew its participation due to concerns after the plan became public in South Korea.

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last week UNESCO contacted them to announce a change in speaker, replacing Dr. Jang with another UNESCO official without providing a reason.