A Seoul appeals court has upheld a decision by the National Assembly’s secretary general to revoke the legal status of a local organization that masqueraded as a United Nations-affiliated body to solicit billions of won in donations. The Seoul High Court recently dismissed an appeal filed by the UN-Habitat Korea Committee against the secretary general, affirming a lower court ruling that rejected the organization’s attempt to overturn the cancellation of its nonprofit corporate status. From the outset in 2019, the group promoted itself as “the U.N.’s first national committee,” using the U.N. name and emblem in its materials. In July 2023, however, allegations surfaced that it had never received formal authorization from the U.N. to use its name or logo, yet had raised about 4.4 billion won ($2.92 million) in donations. In November that year, the Assembly revoked the group’s establishment permit. A court ruled in favor of the Assembly last September. The appeals court likewise found that the committee’s use of the U.N. name and logo to solicit donations constituted grounds f