Monarchs and Mongols: Cabinet of King Gojong, 1231
Single Delegate Crisis Committee
gojong@uclamun.org
Committee Summary
As we venture across the globe and into the past, traversing the sands of time and history, we find ourselves at the forefront of a looming threat of invasion from the Mongolian empire, a danger that stands to topple the noble Goryeo Dynasty, risking both the safety of its people and the preservation of its centuries-long rule. Now faced with a race against time, King Gojon and his cabinet must come together to strategize for the future of the empire, seeking not only to survive amid the danger, but to thrive in spite of. While the goals set before you are not without immense risk, they are also not without tremendous reward, but the true fate of the country and all that is to come remains in your hands. Though this particular conflict exists outside the confines of the cabinet, there are still growing concerns within, and as political tensions run high,internal struggles and drama run higher, forcing delegates to navigate their own interests and the objectives of the cabinet, both of which potentially stand to either jeopardize or protect the dynasty and all those that inhabit it. While the cabinet faces a more than considerable opponent in the world stage, intergovernmental dissonance may threaten to overturn the empire from the inside out. Will you be able to rewrite history and salvage Korean sovereignty, standing victorious against the might of the famed Mongolian empire, or will you fall victim to the woes of the past, unable to escape the reverberations of antiquity?
Chair Letter
Hello Delegates!
Welcome to LAMUN XIX! I’m honored to serve as your Chair and am so excited to welcome you all to the Monarchs and Mongols: Cabinet of King Gojong, 1231. I can’t wait to see where you all take this committee, I’m sure it’ll be one for the history books. I’m currently a third year here at UCLA majoring in Human Biology and Society, which I hope to foray into a future in either the medical field or in public health policy.
I was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, so I’m really familiar with learning about different cultures and exploring rich histories beyond those commonly taught in the American curriculum. Additionally, while the pandemic has hindered me from travel, my summers, for as long as I can remember, have been spent in Shanghai visiting friends and relatives (though I’m no stranger to experiences in other cities around China), so I’m quite familiar with varied socio-political views and how they affect international relations. I’ve also grown up speaking both Mandarin and Shanghainese, which really allows me to connect with people and places on an even deeper level. That all being said, I find that Model UN has always been a pretty safe constant wherever I’ve been, both in high school, where I participated for all four years, and here in college, where I’ve had the opportunity to staff both BruinMUN and LAMUN. Model UN is inherently a setting in which you learn to interact with new people and try to find common ground, whether it be through diplomacy or getting to know people beyond their allocations.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity to work with you all, being able to interact with delegates and see where the debate takes all of you is one of my favorite things, especially when it comes to navigating diplomacy amid crises. As we travel back in time to the 13th century, delegates will be faced with salvaging the sovereignty of imperial Korea while under threat of Mongolian invasion as they seek to balance personal and collective interest, explore the nuances of historical Korean politics, and strategize for the empire’s survival. The rising tensions that occur both outside of and within the cabinet are sure to make for some exciting debate, after all, what is a historical imperial cabinet without its own share of intergovernmental drama?
I wish you all the best of luck,
Alexa Lauryn
Chair
Monarchs and Mongols: Cabinet of King Gojong, 1231 | LAMUN XIX
Crisis Director Letter
Dear Delegates,
My name is Linde Spear (she/her) and I am very excited to be your Crisis Director for the Cabinet of King Gojong! I am a current second year at UCLA double majoring in history and Arabic. On campus, I am not only involved with Model UN, but I also serve as the programming director for Bruin Democrats at UCLA. Outside of school, I enjoy hiking, swimming, cooking elaborate meals with friends, and traveling anywhere and everywhere. I am greatly looking forward to time traveling with you all back to 1231 and exploring the intricacies of the Goryeo Dynasty amidst a period of incredible chaos and uncertainty.
I have participated in Model UN since my first year of high school, where I represented Kuwait in a GA environmental committee. While I was exclusively a GA delegate and a GA chair before participating in MUN at the collegiate level, I have discovered my love for crisis committees since joining Model UN at UCLA. As a history major, I particularly enjoy working with historical committees. As such, I am elated to be working with a committee that takes place in the thirteenth century!
The Cabinet of King Gojong crisis committee will explore a multitude of issues pertaining to safeguarding the Goryeo Dynasty. Over the course of the weekend, delegates must navigate an intricate political landscape and address the challenges posed by the threatening, nearby Mongol Empire in order to ensure the protection and future sovereignty of Korea. I hope you all find great joy in exploring the complexities of thirteenth century Korean politics, and wish you all the best of luck on your journeys. I look forward to working with all of you soon!
Warmly,
Linde Spear
Crisis Director
Monarchs and Mongols: Cabinet of King Gojong, 1231 | LAMUN XIX