A North Korean official dispatched to UNESCO is expected to participate in an international academic conference on diplomacy hosted by Jeju Province and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 24th of this month.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Unification on Tuesday, this month's Jeju Forum is arranging a video lecture by Dr. Jang Kwang-chol, chief of section at the Education Policy Division of the Policy and Lifelong Learning Department at UNESCO headquarters, as a remote speaker for the session "UNESCO and the Future of Education."
A Ministry of Unification official met with reporters at the Government Complex Seoul on Tuesday and said, "The organizers filed a prior report on contact with a North Korean resident (regarding Dr. Jang Kwang-chol's video participation), and we accepted it."
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said, "The participating speakers and schedule are currently being coordinated," noting that the speakers for the "UNESCO and the Future of Education" session, which includes Dr. Jang, have not been finalized. However, the official explained that if Dr. Jang's participation is confirmed, he would be the first North Korean figure to attend the Jeju Forum.
According to the UNESCO website, Dr. Jang earned a doctorate in education from Kim Hyong-jik University of Education and is an education expert who built his career at UNESCO headquarters and regional offices after working at North Korea's Ministry of Education.
Meanwhile, the Jeju Forum is an international academic event co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jeju Province, the International Peace Foundation, and the East Asia Foundation, and organized by the Jeju Peace Institute. It will be held over three days, from the 24th to the 26th of this month.
