Mock world UN conference to improve Korea's image

Jeong Hyun-joo

Kim Ho-in

Kim Se-young

By Chung Hyun-chae

This year’s mock world U.N. conference will help enhance South Korea’s national prestige and improve its image in the world, according to organizers.

The 24th Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) conference will take place in Seoul and Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from March 16-20. It will focus on a missile defense system and the post-2015 development agenda.

The WorldMUN is an annual conference co-organized by Harvard University students and a university team from the host country. The 2015 host is a student team from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS).

“I hope the WorldMUN 2015 will play an important role in helping enhance the country’s prestige and boost its image in the international community,” said Kim Se-young, 22, a politics and diplomacy major at HUFS, who is vice president of the WorldMUN 2015 Organizing Bureau.

“It is sad that South Korea is not widely known as a good country to travel to or live in. Unfortunately, many people all over the world still regard the country as Japan’s colony, or as a dangerous place due to confrontation with North Korea.”

She and two other HUFS students were leading figures in bringing the WorldMUN to Korea.

The others were Jeong Hyun-joo, 24, an English translation major who is president of the organizing committee; and Kim Ho-in, 23, a social science major who is vice president of the bureau.

They have served as members of the school’s model United Nations conference club, “International Model United Nations (HIMUN),” the oldest MUN in Korea, which was established in 1958.

“I expect meaningful resolutions to be adopted during the event,” Kim Ho-in said. “Students are apt to be more open to possible cooperation with different sides than real politicians.”

The WorldMUN, founded in 1991, has been held in 23 cities, including Beijing, The Hague and Edinburgh.

This year’s event is under the sponsorship of the Korea Tourism Organization, the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization and the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX).

About 2,300 students from 117 nations are expected to participate, the highest attendance since WorldMUN was founded.

“We highlighted Korea’s strengths, including good infrastructure and convenient traffic, as prime reasons why the WorldMUN 2015 should be held in Korea,” Jeong said.

There will be several sessions under various agendas, and social events as well, during the week.

Kim Se-young, who is responsible for social events, is sure that WorldMUN 2015 will be different from previous ones in terms of social events in which students from all over the world can build networks.

“I participated in the WorldMUN in 2013 and 2014 and felt that participants had a rare chance to have relationships after the sessions and there were few memorable cultural events,” Kim said. “So we will try to emphasize the nation’s cultural side and share Korean culture with the world through dynamic social events this time.”

Among the social events will be “Global Village,” in which students from different countries bring along local delicacies and dishes. That event will be held in the Obama Hall at the HUFS Seoul campus on March 16.