The Laotian Embassy in South Korea with the help of a local nonprofit organization organized a cultural exchange program here that saw 33 Laotian youth performers travel around Korea for five days from Nov. 1. For some of them, it was the first time they had been outside their rural village of Dan Xang.

Facilitated by the Laotian Embassy and the Korea Laos Friendship Association and with financial support from the Sharing Culture and Arts Association, 33 performers of the Laotian Dan Xang Village Club, aged 3 to 15, came here for five days of cultural exchanges and performances around the country.

“I want to help Laos through this association and build mutual understanding because Korea was as poor as Laos just 30 years ago,” said Yoo Hyun-sook, chairwoman of the Sharing Culture and Arts Association. She said she visited the Southeast Asian nation a couple of times a month.

Until recently cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Laos and South Korea were extremely limited due to Cold War tensions. Government-level diplomatic relations opened for the first time in 1995, but Laos did not open an embassy here until 2001.

Laos’ third envoy here, Ambassador Khamla Xayachack, began his posting in October 2011.

Since opening diplomatic ties, the two sides have inked a half dozen MOUs and agreements supporting South Korean investment and development assistance in the Southeast Asian nation.

The Laotian youths performed traditional songs and dances at hospitals, community centers and schools around the country, culminating with a special performance on Monday at the National Assembly.

By Philip Iglauer (ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)