SEOUL— The ASEAN-Korea Centre announced on Thursday the staging of the 'ASEAN Week 2025' from November 11 to 16, an annual flagship event designed to foster closer people-to-people and practical cooperation between South Korea and the ten ASEAN Member States. The week-long series of events will take place in Seoul, Jeju, and Ilsan, extending the vision for partnership at the private-sector level following the recent ASEAN-ROK Summit.

The ASEAN Week, held annually since 2019, has established itself as a key platform linking the two regions. This year’s programme encompasses diverse fields, including culture, economy, and media, aiming to significantly expand practical exchanges.

The week kicks off on November 11 with the Commemoration Ceremony for the Installation of Benches Representing 10 ASEAN Member States on the ASEAN-Korea Olle Trail at the Parnas Hotel Jeju. This initiative is a joint effort between the ASEAN-Korea Centre, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and the Jeju Olle Foundation. It expands upon the designation of the Jeju Olle Course 8 as the "ASEAN-Korea Olle" last year, commemorating the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations. The project aims to boost tourism from ASEAN countries to Jeju and promote cultural and tourism exchanges. Ten benches, each designed to symbolize one of the ASEAN nations, will be installed along the trail. The ceremony is expected to draw approximately 100 participants, including the ASEAN Ambassadors to Korea, the Deputy Governor for Political Affairs of Jeju, the head of the Jeju Olle Foundation, and key journalists from the 10 ASEAN countries.

From November 11 to 15, the Centre will also run the ASEAN Journalist Invitation Programme. Approximately 20 journalists from the 10 ASEAN Member States, recommended by the ASEAN Embassies in Korea and the Asia News Network (ANN), have been invited. This initiative is designed to introduce the Centre's key activities and regional ties to the ASEAN media and strengthen networking among regional journalists, supporting their coverage of the main ASEAN Week 2025 programmes.

A Korea-ASEAN Media Forum is scheduled for November 12, organized in collaboration with the Korea Press Foundation. The forum will focus on discussing the future trajectory of the ASEAN-Korea relationship under the themes: "The Future of ASEAN-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" and "The Future of ASEAN-Korea Cultural Exchange: Mediated by K-Culture."

Capping off the week's economic pillar, the 2025 ASEAN Trade Exhibition will be held from November 13 to 16 at Hall 6 of KINTEX 2 in Ilsan. A total of 80 food and beverage companies from the 10 ASEAN countries will participate, showcasing representative local products and engaging in business consultations with Korean buyers. The exhibition will feature a Food & Beverage Booth Exhibition Zone, an ASEAN National Promotion Hall, a B2B Business Meeting Zone, and an ASEAN Market Zone. Products such as kaya jam, coffee, cookies, chocolate, and dried fruits will be on display, with business matching sessions facilitating consultations between domestic buyers and ASEAN enterprises.

Secretary-General Kim Jae-shin of the ASEAN-Korea Centre emphasized the significance of the event: “The 2025 ASEAN Week is prepared as a venue where key figures and journalists from Korea and ASEAN come together under diverse themes such as culture, economy, and media.” He expressed his hope that “this year's ASEAN Week will serve as an opportunity for Korea and ASEAN to expand practical cooperation commensurate with their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and solidify mutual trust and solidarity by vitalizing private-sector exchanges between the two regions.”

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