ASEAN Hall opens in Jeonju: New venue for ASEAN–ROK cultural diplomacy
WVR. On September 17, the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) held an opening ceremony for the Jeonju ASEAN Hall in Jeonju City, Jeonbuk State, marking a new step in promoting cultural exchange between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (RoK).
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| Secretary General Kim Jae-shin poses for a commemorative group photo with the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS); Cho Ji-hun, Mayor of Jeonju; Kwon Jae-hwan, Director-General for ASEAN and Southeast Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the RoK; and other distinguished guests at the opening ceremony of the Jeonju ASEAN Hall |
AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin, Jeonju Mayor Cho Ji-hun, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the RoK Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez, representing the Philippines as the 2026 ASEAN Chair, and Kwon Jae-hwan, Director-General for ASEAN and Southeast Asian Affairs at the RoK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the ceremony and delivered remarks.
The Jeonju ASEAN Hall is the third ASEAN Hall established by the AKC in the ROK, following those in Seoul and Jeju, and the first ASEAN-Korea cultural exchange venue in the Honam region. Located between Seoul and Jeju, Jeonju is expected to serve as a bridge for bringing ASEAN culture and arts closer to people and visitors beyond the Seoul metropolitan area.
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| Secretary General Kim Jae-shin of the AKC delivers welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony of the Jeonju ASEAN Hall. |
Located at the Korea Traditional Culture Center near Jeonju Hanok Village, one of the RoK’s renowned cultural and tourism destinations, the Jeonju ASEAN Hall is expected to serve as a cultural diplomacy platform where Korean culture and ASEAN culture can meet and interact in one of Korea’s leading cities of traditional culture.
According to the AKC, the Jeonju ASEAN Hall will function not only as an exhibition venue but also as a long-term platform for cultural exchange. Following the opening, the AKC will work with the Jeonju Cultural Foundation to organize a range of programs for residents and visitors.
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| H.E. Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez, Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines to the RoK, delivers congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony of the Jeonju ASEAN Hall. |
Among them, the ASEAN Brunch Box program, organized in cooperation with Lee Sung Dang, a renowned bakery in Gunsan, will pair the bakery’s signature products with specialty coffee from Timor-Leste. The ASEAN Cooking Class will offer participants an opportunity to learn how to prepare and enjoy a variety of ASEAN dishes, including Vietnamese bánh xèo and Indonesian nasi goreng, under the guidance of an ASEAN culinary expert. Both programs are scheduled to be held once a month on selected Saturdays.
To mark the opening, the AKC is also presenting its inaugural exhibition, ASEAN: Where Hands Bridge Time, showcasing the traditional cultures of the 11 ASEAN Member States through the hands of artisans.
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| Distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony of the Jeonju ASEAN Hall view the inaugural exhibition “ASEAN: Where Hands Bridge Time. |
Around 70 traditional cultural artifacts, including masks, textiles, musical instruments and shadow puppets handcrafted and passed down through generations by ASEAN artisans, will be displayed. According to the AKC, with the cooperation of ASEAN embassies in the ROK and relevant agencies of the ASEAN Member States, the exhibition is the first large-scale exhibition in Korea to bring together cultural heritage representing all 11 ASEAN Member States in one place.
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| Kim Jae-shin poses for a commemorative group photo with the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS); Cho Ji-hun, Mayor of Jeonju; Kwon Jae-hwan, Director-General for ASEAN and Southeast Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea; and other distinguished guests at the opening ceremony of the Jeonju ASEAN Hall. |
AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin said the Centre would continue to organize diverse exhibitions and programs to establish the Jeonju ASEAN Hall as an important venue for cultural exchange between Korea and ASEAN and make ASEAN culture more accessible to the public.
