Youth leaders forge ASEAN-Korea partnership: tackling digitalization, climate

The ASEAN-Korea Centre has been hosting the 2024 ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop from last Wednesday to Aug. 7 in Seoul and Vientiane, Laos. As the ASEAN chair for 2024, Laos is co-hosting the event, which has gathered 50 youths from 11 nations to explore solutions related to digitalization and climate change.

ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop poster / Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Centre

The workshop's theme is "Building an Inclusive and Resilient ASEAN-Korea Partnership: Listening to Youth Leadership on the Digitalization and Climate Change Cooperation."

It aims to cultivate understanding, stimulate dialogue, generate solutions and form connections among youth leaders from ASEAN and Korea. This initiative, ongoing since 2012, aligns its focus with pivotal global agendas, fostering a cooperative spirit between ASEAN countries and Korea.

Participants, comprising undergraduate and graduate students selected by ASEAN embassies in Korea and through an open application process, will engage in a diverse array of activities. From Wednesday to Saturday, the program hosted in partnership with Seoul National University Asia Center (SNUAC), transitioning to Laos with the Lao Youth Union (LYU) from Saturday to Aug. 7.

The workshop's agenda features lectures on sustainability, climate change, digitalization and the evolution of the ASEAN-Korea partnership. Attendees will explore innovative solutions through field visits to various institutions and collaborative team assignments. Cultural exchanges are also integral, fostering friendships and enhancing mutual understanding among participants.

Prominent figures, including ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Jae-shin were joined by high-ranking officials such as Laos Ambassador to Korea Songkane Luangmuninthone, Korean Ambassador to Laos Jung Yung-soo, Director General Chatoulong Bouasisavath of the ASEAN Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Laos and representatives from the LYU.

"This workshop is a pivotal platform for empowering young leaders to be abreast of regional and global challenges, voicing their concerns and proposing solutions to shape the policy decision-making process," Kim said. "Through collaboration and mutual understanding, we can build a stronger, more resilient, and more visionary future for the ASEAN-Korea partnership, especially with this year's emphasis on digitalization and climate change."