From 400,000 Signatures to UNAROK President... Lee Junggeun: "UN Day Is the Path to Elevating Korea's National Prestige"

Lee Junggeun, chairman of Booyoung Group, who has been building social consensus by advocating for the re-designation of UN Day (October 24) as a public holiday, has taken office as the 13th president of the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea (UNAROK). As Lee delivered a petition with the signatures of 400,000 citizens to the National Assembly last September calling for the re-designation of UN Day as a public holiday, attention is focusing on whether related discussions will gain momentum with his inauguration.

On the 12th, the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea held the "2026 Board of Directors Meeting and Extraordinary General Meeting" at the Convention Hall of the Booyoung Taepyeong Building in Jung-gu, Seoul, and elected Lee as its new president. Around 300 people, including the association’s executives and members, attended the inauguration ceremony, and key figures from various sectors, such as Kim Jina, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lee Jongchan, President of the Liberation Association, were present as distinguished guests. The United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea is a public-interest incorporated association registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that was launched in 1947 as the United Nations Association of Korea. In solidarity with the UN association network of 193 countries around the world, it serves as Korea’s leading private diplomatic organization dedicated to realizing the UN’s core values of international peace, human rights, and development cooperation.

Lee Junggeun, chairman of Booyoung Group, is delivering an inaugural address at the inauguration ceremony for the 13th president of the United Nations Association of Korea held on the 12th at the Booyoung Taepyeong Building in Jung-gu, Seoul. Booyoung Group

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In his inaugural address, Lee highlighted the historical relationship between the Republic of Korea and the United Nations and stressed the rationale for re-designating UN Day as a public holiday. He said, "The establishment of the United Nations Temporary Commission on Korea in 1947 made the 1948 general election and the founding of the government possible, and during the Korean War, today’s Republic of Korea was able to grow into a top-10 global economic power thanks to the support of 60 countries, including 16 combatant nations." He went on to emphasize, "Re-designating UN Day as a public holiday will not only improve diplomatic relations with the 60 countries that participated in the war and enhance our national prestige, but it will also provide future generations with an opportunity to honor the spirit of that era."

The petition that Lee delivered to the National Assembly is currently pending before the Public Administration and Security Committee, having been submitted by Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yang Bounam. However, it is reported that an official letter has been received from the National Assembly stating that the review is being delayed. Lee made it clear that he intends to continue the campaign to re-designate UN Day as a public holiday at the association level, saying, "Although this initiative began with the Korean Senior Citizens Association, the organization that is most appropriately positioned to be directly involved is the United Nations Association of the Republic of Korea."

At a press conference held after the inauguration ceremony, Lee repeatedly underscored the need to pass on historical awareness between generations. He said, "Our generation directly witnessed the course of the Korean War. Before the elderly pass away, they must let the younger generation know what the United Nations has meant to us," adding, "Back then, 60 out of roughly 90 countries in the world helped Korea. Maintaining ties with those countries will be of great help in opening new diplomatic pathways."

He also shared his aspirations for running the association. Lee said, "We will reorganize the structure and operational system to rebuild the association into a dynamic organization equipped with professionalism and transparency, and we will widely promote the UN’s core values, including international peace, human rights, sustainable development, and nurturing future generations."

Lee Junggeun, chairman of Booyoung Group, who was elected the 13th president of the United Nations Association of Korea, is taking a commemorative photo with key figures, including Kim Jina, Second Vice Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (front row, fifth from left), and Lee Jongchan, president of the Korean Liberation Association (front row, fourth from left), at the inauguration ceremony held on the 12th at the Convention Hall of the Booyoung Taepyeong Building in Jung-gu, Seoul. Booyoung Group

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UN Day, which commemorates the founding of the United Nations on October 24, 1945, was a statutory public holiday in Korea from 1950 to 1975. However, in 1976, the public holiday designation was abolished as a protest against North Korea’s accession to UN-affiliated agencies. Lee has continued his campaign for re-designation of the holiday, stressing that the historical fact of the United Nations’ assistance to Korea remains unchanged.

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