PRESS RELEASE
No.	PR/23-1	Date	2023.2.15(Wed)
Contact	Program Inquiries: Hwang Ji-seon, Senior ER Officer, DPGAU (+82-2-2287-1150, hjs@aseankorea.org) Press Inquiries: : Kim Hyun-ji, Senior PR Officer, IDU (+82-2-2287-1143, hjk@aseankorea.org)
ASEAN-Korea Centre is an International Organization mandated to promote economic and socio-cultural cooperation between ASEAN Member States and Korea.

ASEAN-Korea Centre tohold the 15^th Annual Council Meeting on Feb. 16-17

- First off-linemeeting in 3 years to bring ASEAN and Korean high-level officials together todiscuss ways for ASEAN-Korea partnership -

- Welcoming Receptionon Feb. 16 to be attended by 130 participants from governments, academia, andmedia -

Seoul, Korea – The ASEAN-Korea Centre (Secretary General KimHae-yong) will hold the 15^th Annual Meeting of the Council of theASEAN-Korea Centre from 16 to 17 February 2023 in Seoul, Korea. As the firstoff-line meeting in three years since the onset of COVID-19, the meeting willbring together members of the Council, composed of high-ranking government officialsof the 10 ASEAN Member States and Korea, to review the outcomes of FY2022programs and discuss the proposed programs and budget for FY2023.

This year’s meeting is even more important as it willseek ways for strengthening co-prosperity and solidarity between ASEAN andKorea amid the reinvigorating international cooperation efforts in the post-pandemicera. Last November, the Korean government unveiled the‘Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI)’ during the ASEAN-Korea Summit, whileIndonesia as ASEAN Chair for 2023 adopted the theme ‘ASEAN Matters: Epicentrumof Growth.’ Against this backdrop, it is imperative for the ASEAN-Korea Centre toplay a key role at the forefront of ASEAN-Korea partnership. In FY2022, theCentre carried out 20 programs in online/hybrid format and cautiously resumedoff-line programs in the latter half of the year to bring ASEAN-Korea exchangesback on track.

In 2023, the ASEAN-Korea Centre willundertake programs with the aim of 1) promoting cooperation in the innovativesectors including ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) and e-mobility, 2)exploring new growth engines amid the global economic transformation in the post-pandemicera, 3) promoting and strengthening exchange in culture and tourism sector ofASEAN and Korea, and 4) fostering mutual understanding and bolstering exchangesamong the next generations such as youth and experts.

On the occasion of the meeting, a Welcoming Receptionwill also be held on 16 February. Approximately 130 key stakeholders from theASEAN Embassies in Seoul, relevant organizations, academia, and media areexpected to attend to further strengthen the network for future cooperation.