Jeju island: Jeju Island's local government and the foreign ministry are working to invite a North Korean education expert at UNESCO to participate virtually in an annual security forum, the unification ministry announced Tuesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, organizers of this year's Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, scheduled for June 24-26, are attempting to bring in Dr. Chang Gwang-chol, chief of education policy at UNESCO, via teleconference. To enable Chang's participation, the forum organizers requested the unification ministry's approval to contact the North Korean expert, which was granted, a ministry official disclosed to reporters.

Chang has an extensive background with UNESCO, having worked at the agency's regional offices in Bangkok and Dakar and held several education policy positions at its Paris headquarters. Prior to his tenure at the U.N. agency, he served at North Korea's education ministry, as detailed on UNESCO's website.

If Dr. Chang decides to attend, he will be the first North Korean national to participate in the forum. This would mark another instance of inter-Korean exchanges occurring beyond the political sphere, following a North Korean football club's semifinal matches in Suwon, south of Seoul, last month. "We will have to wait and see as his participation hasn't been confirmed yet," the official remarked.

In a statement issued to reporters, the foreign ministry stated, "Around 70 sessions are scheduled to be held at the upcoming Jeju Forum, and details regarding speakers and schedules are still being coordinated," also noting that the speakers for the UNESCO education session have not yet been finalized.

In response to inquiries about reports suggesting Chang is related to a senior North Korean government official, the ministry indicated it lacks information to verify or comment on the claim.

Since its inception in 2001, the Jeju Forum has aimed to cultivate a shared vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula and across the region, addressing regional stability and security through international cooperation.