Youth diplomacy supporters group 'UNs' to launch

UN Day ceremony, World Peace Forum among key events

Poster for the 2026 Busan UN Week [Busan city government]
Poster for the 2026 Busan UN Week [Busan city government]

The 2026 Busan UN Week (UN Weeks in Busan) will run Friday through Nov. 11 across Busan under the theme "From Memory to Participation: Building Peace Together in Busan."

Busan UN Week is an annual peace week held in Busan — home to the world's only UN Memorial Cemetery — around UN Day on Oct. 24. Now in its seventh year, the event kicks off with the launch ceremony of "UNs," a youth diplomacy supporters group made up of Korean and foreign young residents in the city. The program lineup includes the 81st UN Day Commemoration Ceremony on Friday, a luncheon of appreciation for veterans and diplomats from participating nations on Friday, a citizen-oriented peace content program "ONE PEACE" running Oct. 16 through Nov. 1, and the World Peace Forum on Nov. 2.

The 81st UN Day Commemoration Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at the UN Memorial Cemetery, bringing together diplomatic delegations from the 10 countries whose fallen soldiers are interred there, along with foreign mission chiefs, veterans' organizations and military personnel to honor and express gratitude to UN war veterans. An exhibition themed "Peace Blossomed by 22 Nations" will display the national flags and flowers of the participating countries within the cemetery grounds.

This year's event places particular emphasis on digital, participatory content designed to help citizens experience the history and meaning of peace. "Connecting Peace — ONE PEACE (WE GO TOGETHER, ONE PEACE)" links the UN Memorial Cemetery and Busan Citizens Park — built on the former site of Camp Hialeah, a US military base — into a single peace journey. Visitors can use their smartphones to complete missions while learning about UN war veterans and Busan's history of peace.

On Nov. 2, the World Peace Forum will convene under the theme "Peace Diplomacy Connecting the World through K-Culture." The forum will explore peace diplomacy through K-culture and Busan's role on the international stage through a keynote address by the chairman of the Kim Koo Foundation, an international organization roundtable and thematic presentations. Particular attention will be paid to Busan's role as the host city of the 2028 UN Ocean Conference and as a global maritime city, examining that role through the lens of peace and solidarity and charting a future course for international cooperation.

"I hope this will be a time to reflect on the history of the UN and experience the value of peace," Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "We will develop this into an event where citizens and the world build peace together."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com