1. To mark the 70th anniversary of the UN this year, various celebratory events will take place on the occasion of UN Day (October 24), including a reception celebrating the UN’s 70th anniversary (October 23), the International Seminar on UN Peace Operations (October 22), and the Turn the World UN Blue event (October 24).

2. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se will attend the reception celebrating the UN’s 70th anniversary, hosted by the UN Association of the Republic of Korea at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul on October 23, and deliver remarks to commemorate the UN’s 70th anniversary. At the reception, a video message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to celebrate the UN’s 70th anniversary will be shown, and the Diplomatic Choir of Seoul will present celebratory performances.

o The reception will bring together about 350 people, including representatives from international organizations in the ROK, foreign diplomats in the ROK, members of the National Assembly, and people from academia and the media.

3. Furthermore, the Foreign Ministry, jointly with the International Peace Institute (IPI), will host the International Seminar on UN Peace Operations at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on October 22.

o This Seminar is a follow-up meeting to a conference on UN peace operations, hosted by the ROK in New York in July this year. The upcoming Seminar is expected to serve as an opportunity to review measures to implement the recommendations, contained in the report of the UN High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations.

o At the Seminar, Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs Shin Dong-ik will deliver opening remarks. The Seminar will be attended by representatives from major financial donor countries, including the US, the UK, and China; representatives from major contributing countries of UN peacekeeping forces, including Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Pakistan; representatives from about 30 countries actively participating in discussions on UN peace operations, including Uruguay, Kenya, and Afghanistan; and relevant experts from abroad and at home.

4. Meanwhile, the ROK will participate in the “Turn the World UN Blue” event, which the UN is preparing to mark the 70th anniversary of the UN.

o “Turn the World UN Blue” is an event where major facilities across the world will be lit up blue, the official color of the UN, on UN Day on October 24. Cities in some 100 countries, including the US, the ROK, Japan, and China, will participate in the event.

o In the ROK, the new Seoul City Hall building (18:30-23:00) and the Incheon Bridge (18:30-21:00) will be lit up blue on October 24.


*unofficial translation