An important international conference will take place this week in South Korea, focused on the peninsula’s security concerns. The UK will not be participating. The reason? A lack of female ‘representation’, apparently. It seems that all the 18 of the initially invited speakers to the Global Korea Forum were men, though since the UK pullout three more speakers have been included, one of whom is female.
A spokesperson from the British Embassy told the Korea Times that ‘the ambassador (Colin Crooks) is unable to take part in the Global Korea Forum next week. The British Embassy is committed to gender equality. We believe that events are enriched by the diversity of perspectives of those participating.’
The Global Korea Forum has been held, under the auspices of South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, since 2010. This year’s iteration has the theme ‘Unified Korean Peninsula for Freedom, Peace and Prosperity’. It’s a high-profile event, with a premium location, a budget of half a million dollars, and some distinguished speakers (Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is attending this year).
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