Seoul, 19 June 2026 – The Korea Saemaul Undong Center held the inaugural Saemaul Diplomacy Group (SDG) Meeting 2026 at the Baekyangnuri Grand Ballroom of Yonsei University on 19 June 2026.

Philippine Embassy Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General Edwin Gil Q. Mendoza joined Ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions in Seoul, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea Rural Development Administration and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) at the SDG meeting aimed to foster deeper understanding of the Saemaul Undong Movement (New Village Movement) philosophy, development experiences and achievements with the diplomatic community, and to further strengthen the foundation for international cooperation with partner countries. 

Launched in the early 1970s, the Saemaul Undong is considered as the most successful participatory community-based development model in the Republic of Korea built on the principles of diligence, self-reliance and cooperation. Currently, the Seamaul Undong Global League (SGL) has 51 member countries from around the world that have adopted the principle of the movement in pursuit of their own rural development objectives. END