Busan to hold 2026 UN Weeks from 23 October to 11 November
In short
Busan city said on 22 October it will hold the 2026 UN Weeks in Busan from 23 October to 11 November. The seventh edition opens with the 81st UN Day ceremony at the UN Memorial Cemetery at 11:00 on 23 October and includes a World Peace Forum on 2 November.
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Busan city said on 22 October that it will hold the 2026 UN Weeks in Busan from 23 October to 11 November. Yonhap gave the slogan as 'From Remembrance to Participation: Peace Built Together in Busan'. The event is in its seventh year and is held around UN Day, which falls on 24 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Seoul Economic Daily said the week is meant to honour the sacrifice of UN veterans and spread a message of world peace. Yonhap said it is a peace week for sharing the meaning of peace with residents of Busan, which it described as home to the world's only UN Memorial Cemetery. The programme began in July with the launch of UNs, a diplomatic supporters group of young Korean and foreign residents, and has seven programmes in all. [ 1 , 3 ]
The 81st UN Day ceremony is scheduled for 11:00 on 23 October at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Nam District. Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, diplomatic delegations of the 10 countries whose war dead are buried there, heads of foreign missions in Busan, veterans' groups and military personnel are expected to attend and pay tribute to the veterans. A flag and chrysanthemum exhibition titled 'Peace Blossomed by 22 Countries' will run at the cemetery until 30 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The city is strengthening participatory digital content this year. Its mobile mission escape-room programme, called ONE PEACE, is being extended from the UN Memorial Cemetery to Busan Citizens Park, the site of the former Hayaria (하야리아) US military base, according to Seoul Economic Daily. Participants complete missions on smartphones and can use photo zones and pop-up exhibitions. Newsis reported that landmarks including Gwangan Bridge, the Busan Cinema Center and Busan Tower will be lit in blue as a 'peace light' until 30 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The World Peace Forum on 2 November will have the theme 'Peace Diplomacy Connecting the World through K-Culture'. It includes a keynote by the chairman of the Kim Koo Foundation, an international organisations roundtable and presentations on peace diplomacy using K-culture. Seoul Economic Daily said it will also look at Busan's international role as host city of the 2028 UN Ocean Conference. Newsis listed further events: the 28th UN Peace Festival and the Busan Hoguk Cultural Festival on 23 to 25 October, a peace week for UN participating countries from 24 October to 11 November, and the Turn Toward Busan international memorial ceremony for UN veterans on 11 November. [ 1 , 2 ]
Mayor Jeon said Busan keeps a history of peace protected by the sacrifice of UN veterans and international solidarity. Newsis quoted him as hoping the week lets residents reflect on that history and experience the value of peace directly. Yonhap quoted him as saying the city will develop the event so that residents and the world build peace together. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The documents describe the event as a peace week around UN Day (24 October) that honours UN veterans and involves foreign diplomats, veterans' groups and city residents. They give no wider consequences beyond the programme itself.
Key facts
- Busan city announced on 22 October that the 2026 UN Weeks in Busan will run from 23 October to 11 November. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- This is the seventh edition, and the programme has seven parts, beginning with the launch of the youth diplomatic supporters group UNs in July. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The 81st UN Day ceremony is set for 11:00 on 23 October at the UN Memorial Cemetery, with Mayor Jeon Jae-soo (전재수) attending. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A flag and chrysanthemum exhibition titled 'Peace Blossomed by 22 Countries' runs at the cemetery until 30 October. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The World Peace Forum on 2 November has the theme 'Peace Diplomacy Connecting the World through K-Culture'. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The mobile mission escape-room programme is being expanded from the UN Memorial Cemetery to Busan Citizens Park. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The 2026 UN Weeks in Busan run from 23 October to 11 November, according to Busan city as reported by all three outlets. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The 81st UN Day ceremony takes place at 11:00 on 23 October at the UN Memorial Cemetery, with the mayor, diplomatic delegations of the 10 countries whose war dead are buried there, foreign mission heads in Busan, veterans' groups and military personnel expected. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The World Peace Forum on 2 November includes a keynote by the chairman of the Kim Koo Foundation (김구재단) and an international organisations roundtable. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Peace-light illumination of Busan landmarks until 30 October Only one outlet mentions the lighting of Gwangan Bridge, the Busan Cinema Center and Busan Tower in blue.
- Additional events during the period, including the 28th UN Peace Festival and the Busan Hoguk Cultural Festival Only one outlet lists these events, and gives no further details.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Seoul Economic Daily published its report on the upcoming UN Weeks. [ 1 ]
- Newsis published its report on the city's announcement. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap published its report on the UN Weeks, which start the next day. [ 3 ]
- The 81st UN Day ceremony is scheduled at the UN Memorial Cemetery on 23 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]