The ASEAN-Korea Center, an intergovernmental organization, is organizing ASEAN Week 2019 in Seoul to showcase the diverse cultures of the 10 ASEAN member states.

From Friday through Sunday, special events and exhibitions will be held at Seoul Plaza to raise public awareness of ASEAN cultures and tourism ahead of the ASEAN-South Korea Commemorative Summit scheduled for November this year. 




The center invited the citizens of Seoul and anyone with an interest in the ASEAN region to “take part in the event where they can experience ASEAN in all dimensions, from art to fashion, lifestyle, tourism and food,” ASEAN-Korea Center Secretary-General Lee Hyuk said in a press release.

ASEAN Week 2019 is expected to strengthen people-to-people connections between ASEAN and Korea through events such as the ASEAN-Korea Music Festival, the ASEAN Fashion Festival and ASEAN Travel Talk.

There will also be cultural performances, design exhibitions and tourism booths to promote ASEAN cultures to the Korean public.

Tourism booths representing each ASEAN country will be installed at Seoul Plaza, and the countries’ national tourism bodies will hold promotional events and provide information on notable tourist destinations in cooperation with their respective embassies. And visitors who buy raffle tickets could win round-trip air tickets to the Philippines or Brunei Darussalam.

During the opening ceremony on Friday, Lee Hyuk, Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Thai Ambassador Singtong Lapisatepun will deliver congratulatory remarks. The ASEAN-Korea Music Festival will follow, featuring ASEAN cultural performances as well as K-Pop idols Kim Jun-su and The One. The harmony between the Korean and ASEAN artists is expected to further two-way cultural exchanges and help start an “ASEAN Wave” in Korea.

To register for the event, visit the ASEAN-Korea Center website (www.aseankorea.org) or the Naver Travel Plus blog (blog.naver.com/the_trip).

(hnpark@heraldcorp.com)