The launching ceremony of the <2025 Youth Envoys for Disarmament and Non-proliferation>, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of Korea and organized by East Asia Institute (EAI), was held on Thursday, June 26, at the MOFA government complex. Around twenty undergraduate and graduate students from Korea and overseas were selected and appointed as youth envoys. The envoys committed to actively engage in the upcoming program with diligence and sense of responsibility.

※ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has organized and hosted diverse youth participation programs as part of its efforts to implement the UN General Assembly resolution “Youth, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation,” which has been biennially adopted since 2019 under Korea's leadership. Since 2023, the MOFA has recruited Youth Envoys for Disarmament and Non-proliferation every year to foster the youth’s interest and engagement in the field.

Vice Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Cho Koo-rae emphasized that the international disarmament and non-proliferation regime is indispensable for responding to uncertainties and achieving sustainable peace in light of today’s geopolitical instability and structural changes in the international security landscape, which includes the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies in various sectors including the military and security. To this end, Vice Minister Cho called on the youth to actively raise their voices in the disarmament and non-proliferation field as the leaders of the future.

Following the launching ceremony, the youth envoys participated in a two-day field trip from June 26 to 27, where they visited the Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Control (KINAC) and the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and reviewed the ROK’s security environment and its national efforts to implement the international non-proliferation regime. In the following weeks, the envoys will acquire basic knowledge on key issues related to disarmament and non-proliferation through the Youth Academy on Disarmament and Non-proliferation, which consists of ten lectures delivered by experts in the field. In addition, during and after the Academy, the participants will write a policy proposal on a selected topic related to disarmament and non-proliferation. The authors of the best proposal, which will be selected through rigorous assessment of the evaluation panel, will be offered an opportunity to attend an international forum related to disarmament and non-proliferation.

The <Youth Envoys for Disarmament and Non-proliferation> program will amplify the message that in order to achieve sustainable peace, the younger generation, as the future leaders, should actively raise their voices on disarmament and non-proliferation issues. The program is expected to enhance the youth’s interest in and understanding of disarmament and non-proliferation field.