Often found at theaters and museums, Kwon Mee-yoo has covered a wide range of cultural fields from K-pop and dramas to theater and fine art for over a decade. Now as K-Culture Desk editor, she tries to connect Korean culture with global readers through fresh perspectives.
Envoys visit Ban Ki-moon peace museum
Members of the diplomatic corps pose in front of the Peace Museum of the 8th UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, Friday. Courtesy of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future
By Kwon Mee-yoo
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Diplomats based in Seoul had an opportunity to visit a museum dedicated to Ban Ki-moon, former U.N. secretary general and chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, and explore his legacy.
The foundation invited some 60 members of the foreign diplomatic community and their family members to the Peace Museum of the 8th U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Eumseong County, North Chungcheong Province, Friday.
Ban, who served as the eighth secretary general of the world's largest international organization from 2007 to 2016, shared his journey from a child born in a war-torn country who studied with textbooks provided by UNESCO to a seasoned diplomat who became Korea's first leader of the U.N.
The museum opened in 2018 near the site of Ban's birthplace, upholding the values he promoted through his tenure as the U.N. secretary general, such as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement, the Global Education First Initiative and the Human Rights Up Front Initiative.
Ban recalled his childhood living in a thatched roof house in a small town in Korea and experiencing war at a young age.
"I was born here in 1944 and it was just two weeks after my sixth birthday when the Korean War broke out in June 1950 and absolutely turned my whole world upside down," Ban said, adding that his family took refuge in a remote village of his mother's birthplace where he was safe, but suffered from poverty and hunger.
"I was what we call now in the United Nations, an internally displaced person, an IDP, myself at a time when I should have been a very happy boy. Instead of playing with toys and friends, I was struggling for survival during one of the most destructive wars history has ever seen."
He said he was one of millions who relied on food, medicine and humanitarian aid provided by U.N. bodies such as UNICEF, UNDP and UNESCO.
"It was the iconic blue U.N. flag omnipresent in Korea during those dark days and that shined bright as a beacon of hope for many Korean people. Indeed, to us, the United Nations meant safety, sustenance and security," Ban added.
Ban Ki-moon, center, former U.N. secretary general and chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future, gives a tour of the peace museum named after him in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, Friday. Courtesy of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future
The former secretary general urged envoys to help address the challenges faced by the world today.
"Our world is fractured and divided like never before. COVID-19, the ongoing geopolitical conflicts between the big powers and the compounding climate crisis have kept nations and people apart and hindered global collaborations, partnerships and interconnections. In this context, you, the members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Korea, have an incredible opportunity to kick start a new direction for our common future by enhancing bilateral ties and elevating global cooperation and conversation. Diplomacy inherently brings people together and forges new pathways for cooperation to create the foundation for sustainable global solutions," Ban said.
Carlos Victor Boungou, Gabonese ambassador to Korea and dean of the diplomatic corps here, highlighted Ban's contributions to the international community during his tenure as U.N. secretary general and beyond and appreciated the museum's educational value.
"On the topic of youth empowerment, your message to world leaders has always been clear and inspiring. Investing in youth is the best way to overcome poor education, unemployment, violence and extremism. That is why I believe this museum is so important as it focuses on peace, but also gender and youth," Boungou said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Public Diplomacy Lee Sang-hwa delivered a speech on behalf of Foreign Minister Park Jin, expressing gratitude for the U.N.'s support in Korea's economic development and democratization and shared the country's commitment to reciprocating the generosity by deploying peacekeepers to U.N. missions and contributing to the international organization's budget.
The envoys visited Ban Ki-moon Peace Land, a park established near Ban's birthplace when he became the U.N. secretary general, and the restored thatched-roof house where he was born.
Ban also gave a tour of the museum, which consists of the main Peace Hall, Office Experience Room, Roundtable Conference Hall, Global Culture Hall and Ban Ki-moon Commemorative Hall, where visitors can catch a glimpse of the roles of the U.N.
Diplomats perused unique collections and distinguished gifts from their respective nations at the Global Culture Hall as Ban donated his treasured keepsakes to the museum after his tenure as U.N. secretary general.
A remarkable item showcased at the museum is a makeshift soccer ball, crafted with cloth and vinyl for African children and signed by Ban and then-IOC President Jacques Rogge. The ball was auctioned to support the bereaved families of U.N. staff killed in action and was purchased by Haya Bint Hussein, princess of Jordan and then-queen of the Emirate of Dubai, for $230,000. Her generous contribution played a vital role in the fundraising effort.
Later, she subsequently returned the ball to Ban and it is now housed at the peace museum.
Members of the diplomatic corps take photos in front of a restored birthplace of former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, Friday. Courtesy of Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future
Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega said it was a very "eye-opening" visit.
"It is also a reminder of the importance of global citizenship, international cooperation and understanding and the many strides made during the tenure of former U.N. Secretary General Ban, particularly on gender, climate, poverty and famine and of course on peace," Dizon-De Vega said.
Swiss Ambassador to Korea Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli highlghted Ban's achievements, such as the 2030 Agenda, U.N. Women and climate change, to Ban's current leadership of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).
Francisco Gonzalez, charge d'affaires a.i. at the Colombian Embassy in Korea, described the event as "history narrated by one of the most important figures in the history of the United Nations and of Korea."
Gonzalez said Ban sharing stories of his family and childhood was his favorite part of the tour.
"I loved (that part) because most of the time, he speaks from the standpoint of a diplomat. (But) when he was speaking about his family, he was actually speaking from his heart about his brothers and how they grew up together, showing the pictures they took together," Gonzalez said.
Yasmin Amri Sued, ambassador of Rwanda to Seoul, appreciated Ban for staying with the diplomatic corps throughout the visit.
"He's a diplomatic authority, continuing his journey for the big themes that are important to him. It also shows how genuine he is," Amri Sued said.