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| Representatives from the embassies of ASEAN member countries at the inauguration ceremony of 10 benches honoring ASEAN member states. (Source: AKC) |
The ceremony was attended by the Singapore Ambassador to Korea and Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul, Wong Kai Jiun; the Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC), Kim Jae-shin; representatives from Jeju Special Administrative Region; and representatives from embassies and journalists from ASEAN member countries.
Speaking at the ceremony, Kim Jae-shin, Secretary-General of the ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC), thanked the representative offices of ASEAN member states for making the initiative to install commemorative chairs symbolizing each ASEAN member state a reality at one of South Korea's most sought-after tourist destinations.
For his part, Singapore's Ambassador to Korea and Chairman of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul, Wong Kai Jiun, said that the ASEAN-Korea Friendship Trail contributes to welcoming ASEAN tourists to Jeju and better introducing ASEAN to local tourists in Jeju.
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| Children's artistic performance on Jeju Island at the inauguration ceremony. (Source: AKC) |
In 2024, the ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Partnership was upgraded to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Singaporean Ambassador to Korea stated that ASEAN hopes to continue the positive momentum in its relationship with Seoul.
“The deepest foundation for a lasting relationship between the two sides is the people-to-people connection – through genuine friendships, exchanges, and interactions. And the ASEAN-Korea Trail initiative is a prime example of the soft power aspect of the relationship between the two regions,” he added.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thai Binh , Counselor and the second representative of the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea attending the inauguration ceremony of the 10 ASEAN seats, expressed her hope that the ASEAN-Korea Friendship Route will become a destination for the Vietnamese community in South Korea as well as Vietnamese tourists in the future.
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| Ms. Nguyen Thi Thai Binh, Counselor, second in line, representing the Vietnamese Embassy in South Korea, poses for a photo with her husband (far left) and AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin at the Vietnamese section of the bench. (Source: AKC) |
She emphasized: “This small chair carries profound symbolic meaning, representing the close, intimate, and joyful friendship between the people of Vietnam and South Korea, as well as within the ASEAN family on the Friendship Road. I believe that everyone who stops on this chair bearing the name Vietnam will feel the hospitality and the shared aspiration for a bright future of Vietnam-South Korea and ASEAN-South Korea relations.”
On November 8, 2024, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN-Korea Dialogue and its upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, a ceremony was held on Jeju Island to announce the naming of the "Jeju Olle Trail No. 8: ASEAN-Korea Olle." The 19.6 km ASEAN-Korea Trail is considered one of Korea's iconic routes. Following the ceremony, AKC installed commemorative benches representing each ASEAN member country.
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| Ms. Nguyen Thi Thai Binh and her husband pose for a photo at the Vietnamese bench. (Source: AKC) |
This activity aims not only to promote the natural beauty of Korea, but also to enhance Korean people's understanding of ASEAN, while fostering cultural and tourism cooperation between ASEAN and Jeju.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/le-khanh-thanh-10-bang-ghe-tuong-trung-cho-cac-quoc-gia-thanh-vien-asean-tai-han-quoc-bieu-tuong-sau-sac-cua-tinh-huu-nghi-334149.html
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