By Rachel Lee
The ASEAN-Korea Centre has designated May and June “ASEAN Month” to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN and the ASEAN-ROK Cultural Exchange Year.
At an event to launch ASEAN Month ― under the slogan of “Hello ASEAN@50” ― at the centre on May 11, ambassadors and diplomats from the 10 ASEAN embassies and officials from Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs participated in panel discussions on bilateral relations.
“The ASEAN-Korea partnership is getting more important than ever,” ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Young-sun said. “ASEAN has been receiving more and more attention as an alternative economic partner of Korea after China. People-to-people exchanges have been vibrant as well, reaching over 8 million in 2016.
“Despite these, ASEAN has not much been explored, as many things about the region’s cultures, religions, and histories are still yet to be unveiled. I hope ASEAN Month will contribute to a better understanding of ASEAN as well as the importance of ASEAN-Korea relations.”
During the two months, several events will be held ― the ASEAN Culinary Festival, the ASEAN Tourism Promotional Pavilion, the ASEAN Culture and Tourism Photo Exhibition, the ASEAN Lecture Series, the ASEAN-Korea Investment Promotion Seminar on ICT, the ASEAN Quiz, and the ASEAN School Tour Program.
For relations to further develop and become more mature, Kim said there are two important points to remember.
“First, we need to deepen the level of understanding and consideration for each other,” Kim said. “There’s a saying in Bahasa, ‘Tak kenal maka tak cinta,’ which means, ‘You cannot love someone if you do not now that person.’”
It is important for the people of ASEAN and Korea to know each other at a deeper level for a more long-lasting partnership between the two regions, he said.
“In this regard, socio-cultural cooperation between the two sides is most important,” he said.
Second, Kim pointed to partnerships among various stakeholders.
“Partnerships among the public sectors, private sectors, civil society, academia, the mass media, and so on, is significant,” he said. “I look forward to the various perspectives that will be presented by our diverse stakeholders in the talk show that will soon take place after this ceremony.”
This year has been remarkable for ASEAN and a “momentous year” for ASEAN-Korea relations, Kim said.
“There have been great achievements recently leading up to 2017, the most significant being the launch of the ASEAN Community at the end of 2015,” he said. “Korea, as one of the 10 dialogue partners, has been developing mutually beneficial relations with ASEAN over the past two-and-a-half decades. And the ASEAN-Korea Centre is proud to have been playing a central role in this regard.”
For more information about ASEAN Month, visit www.aseankorea.org/eng/Activities/ASEANmonth.asp.
The ASEAN-Korea Centre is an intergovernmental organization established in 2009 to promote exchanges between Korea and the 10 ASEAN member states.