The world today requires stronger and more diverse multilateral cooperation to meet mounting global challenges such as the climate crisis and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, and to secure a sustainable future for mankind. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015 represent our commitment to that end, but their implementation is far from being on track. Global citizenship education is becoming a key issue in the UN and the international community at large, not least with its great implications for sustainable development. Why do countries in the world appear to continue to fight for their narrow national interests rather than joining forces together to address the common problems we have in our world? How do the two core elements of global citizenship education – universal values and respect for diversity – fit into the SDGs? How can global citizenship education, as promoted by the UN and UNESCO, help change the mindset of the next generation in prioritizing global common good? Answers to these questions are sought from the perspective of South Korea, the country known for its emphasis on education in its process of national development and for the efforts to expand its global role in recent years.
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