Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers to the questions people ask most about the DMUN Foundation.
The DMUN Foundation is a youth-led, non-profit organisation founded in 2021 that provides free diplomacy education and represents children and youth across the United Nations system. The answers are brief and factual, and we keep them up to date. Each question links to a full answer page. Last updated: 26 August 2026.
What is DMUN?
DMUN (Discover Model United Nations) is a youth-led, non-profit foundation founded in 2021 that provides free diplomacy education and represents children and youth across the United Nations system. It has 27,284 members in 172 countries and territories, and all of its programmes are free of charge.
What is the DMUN Foundation?
The DMUN Foundation is a youth-led, non-profit, non-governmental organisation established in 2021. It delivers free educational programmes on diplomacy and international relations, conducts youth-led policy research, and advocates for the meaningful participation of children and youth in the United Nations and other intergovernmental organisations.
Who is Jaewon Choi?
Jaewon Choi is the Executive Director and Founder of the DMUN Foundation. He founded the organisation in 2021 and has led it to 27,284 members across 172 countries and territories. He represents the Foundation at the United Nations, including at the UN General Assembly, the High-Level Political Forum and UN treaty negotiations.
What does the DMUN Foundation do?
The DMUN Foundation runs free online educational programmes on diplomacy, represents children and youth in United Nations meetings and treaty negotiations, and publishes youth-led policy research. In 2024 alone it produced 32 statements, inputs and interventions across dozens of intergovernmental bodies.
Is DMUN free to join?
Yes. Every DMUN Foundation programme, conference and membership is completely free. The Foundation charges no fees or mandatory dues; it is funded by voluntary contributions and donations so that opportunity never comes with a price tag.
How do I join the DMUN Foundation?
Individuals join the DMUN Foundation for free by registering for any Foundation programme or applying through its digital forum, which grants provisional membership. Full membership, with voting rights, follows approval by the Board of Trustees. Organisations join through a negotiated adhesion process.
What programmes does the DMUN Foundation run?
The DMUN Foundation runs free, fully online programmes including the DMUN Annual Meetings (the world’s largest virtual Model UN conference), the Sustainability Forum, Discover Model United Nations, Model European Union, Model Arab League, Model African Union, the Moot Court of International Law, a Debate Competition, Crisis Conference and DMUN PITCH.
How does the DMUN Foundation work with the United Nations?
The DMUN Foundation participates in United Nations meetings as a youth-led civil society stakeholder: it delivers oral statements and written submissions, holds mandate roles in the Major Group for Children and Youth, nominates Global Youth Representatives through YouthCubed, and maintains observer offices in New York, Washington D.C., Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Bangkok and The Hague.
Who funds the DMUN Foundation?
The DMUN Foundation is funded by voluntary contributions: individual donations, institutional grants, sponsorships and partnerships. It charges no membership dues or programme fees, and donations keep every programme free. Its development office can be reached at give@dmun.org.
Where is the DMUN Foundation based?
The DMUN Foundation Secretariat is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea, with a Liaison Office in the Americas in Boston, USA. Its volunteer staff serve across duty stations including New York, Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi, Bangkok and The Hague, and its programmes are fully online and global.
Is the DMUN Foundation a legitimate organisation?
Yes. The DMUN Foundation is a youth-led non-governmental organisation founded in 2021 that is accredited in over 62 intergovernmental entities and meetings. It has delivered statements at the UN General Assembly, ECOSOC and UN treaty negotiations, was invited by the President of the UN General Assembly to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, and maintains transparent governance with independent oversight.
How is the DMUN Foundation governed?
The DMUN Foundation is governed by its General Assembly of Members, which every member may vote in, and a Board of Trustees that translates strategy into plans. A volunteer Secretariat, led by Executive Director Jaewon Choi, carries out the day-to-day work, with independent oversight from an Inspector-General, an Ombudsman and an Internal Tribunal.
Still have a question?
Write to us at enquiries@dmun.org or visit the Contact page. For the Foundation’s story over the years, see the About page and the Newsroom.