Asian college students kicked off an eight-day forum in Seoul on Thursday to share ideas on economic development, climate change and cultural exchange for future regional cooperation.

The ASEAN-Korea Frontier Forum, scheduled to run until Feb. 7, gathered over 90 students from 11 Asian countries, including Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia.

It is hosted by the Asia Exchange Association affiliated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“This year, 93 students from across Asia have joined the forum. Each student has been specially selected by their respective government due to their interest in diplomacy and foreign affairs,” Myeong Su-ah, manager of the Culture and Education Team of the AEA, told The Korea Herald.

This year, for the first time, the forum will also include a “Model ASEAN-Korea Summit,” a simulation of a Southeast Asian nations summit, in which the participants discuss the mutual prosperity of ASEAN and Korea.

“This forum is a meeting place for the future leaders of Asia, which includes cultural as well as political exchanges. Each representative will showcase a native culture performance during the forum,” Myeong said.

“We will help the participants form a secure network, so they can continue to build international cooperation,” the official added.

The AEA was founded in 2005 to promote cooperation among Asian countries by bridging cultural, linguistic and ideological differences through civilian cooperation.


By Lee Sang-ju, Intern reporter
(sjlee370@heraldcorp.com)