KOREA FOUNDATION

Welcome to 2020, the Year of the Rat. I wish all of you, the supporters of the ASEAN Culture House, great prosperity and happiness.

The year 2019 was a very meaningful one, during which we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) dialogue relationship. In recognition, Korean government held the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the 1st Mekong-ROK Summit from November 25–27, one of the largest diplomatic events held by this government to date. The ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit has now been held a record three times in Korea, more times than in any other country. This year’s meeting allowed participants to successfully accumulate and review practical and concrete accomplishments in the ASEAN-Korea relationship. It also revealed the Korean government’s steadfast will and continuing efforts to value the relationship with ASEAN through the implementation of the New Southern Policy.

Over the past year, the ASEAN Culture House, as the hub of Korea-ASEAN cultural and human resource exchanges, successfully held a variety of existing programs as well as special auxiliary events in relation with the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit. These included the Viva ASEAN-ASEAN Cultural Roadshow, the ASEAN Crafts: From Heritage to the Contemporary, and ASEAN Cinema Week. Events extended beyond Busan to take place nationwide in Cheongju, Gwangju, Seoul, and Jeju, contributing greatly to promotion of the special summit.

In the new year, we will redouble our efforts to increase recognition of ASEAN and to share the cultures of ASEAN with more citizens by expanding ASEAN-related exchange projects nationwide. We also pledge to erform a central role in cultural and human resource exchanges between Korea and ASEAN as an international exchange platform, with the goal of helping Korea and ASEAN to come to know each other better. We will form a closer cooperative relationship with Thailand’s ASEAN Culture Center (ACC), with which we established a partnership in September 2019, as well as with ASEAN-related agencies both in and outside of Korea.

We ask for your continuous interest in and support of the ASEAN Culture House’s journey as we move forward, and wish you health and happiness in the new year.