Overview of the ASEAN-Korea Centre
The ASEAN-Korea Centre was established in March 2009 as an intergovernmental organization mandated to promote economic and socio-cultural cooperation between ASEAN and Korea in accordance with the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on establishing the ASEAN-Korea Centre between the Republic of Korea and the 10 ASEAN member countries signed in November 2007 in Singapore on the occassion of the 13th ASEAN-ROK Summit.
The membership of the Centre consists of the Republic of Korea and the 10 ASEAN Member States, namely, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore Thailand, and Viet Nam.
The mandate of the Centre is to increase trade volume, accelarate investment flow, invigorate tourism, and enrich cultural exchanges with emphasis on increasing people-to-people contact between the Republic of Korea and the 10 ASEAN member states.
III. Main Activities
Conduct trade and investment promotion activities to increase business opportunities and interactions between ASEAN and Korea through various avenues such as exhibitions, seminars, trade and investment missions, capacity-building programs, and publication and dissemination of relevant information.
Carry out cultural exchanges and tourism promotion activities to increase mutual understanding and to help boost tourism between ASEAN and Korea through fairs, exhibitions, capacity-building programs, publications and dissemination of relevant information.
conduct various activities such as lectures, seminars, and workshops aimed at raising awareness of ASEAN among the Korean public and vice versa, and provide information on ASEAN and ASEAN-Korea relations through the Centre’s website and print materials.
Council: As a supreme decision-making body of the Centre, it is composed of Directors who are appointed by the Republic of Korea and each of the 10 ASEAN Member Countries.
Executive Board: As a supervising and advisory blody of the Secretariat, it consists of 11 representatives appointed by each of the Member States.
Secretariat: Led by the Secretary General, it consists of four units: Development Planning and General Affairs Unit, Trade and Investment Unit, Culture and Tourism Unit, and Information and Data Unit.