Indonesia has assumed the leadership role in the ASEAN Korea Centre (AKC) Tourism and Culture Working Group for the first session of 2024, announced Alex Macatuno, Head of the Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Division at the ASEAN Korea Centre in Seoul, South Korea. Selected among the 11 ASEAN member countries in Seoul, Indonesia will chair the AKC Tourism and Culture Working Group, with the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul serving as the chair and the Lao Democratic Embassy in Seoul as the vice-chair, according to a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul. The first meeting, led by Joannes Ekaprasetya Tandjung, Coordinator of the Creative Economy and Digital Function at the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, and representatives from the Lao Embassy, Soudavanh, focused on reviewing activities during 2023 and planning for 2024. Indonesia's leadership in the ASEAN 2023 forum emphasized the theme "ASEAN Matters Epicentrum of Growth." The activities during 2023 included hosting ASEAN Week 2023, creating sponsored AKC tourism promotional videos, the Digital ASEAN Library, and the Sustainable Tourism Development Forum.
As the leader of the AKC Working Group, Indonesia plays a crucial role in directing cooperation strategies in the tourism and cultural sectors between ASEAN member countries and South Korea for the upcoming year. Planned activities include tourism promotion, cultural exchanges, exhibitions like the ASEAN-Korea Culture and Tourism Integrated Experience, and capacity-building programs for ASEAN-Korea Quality Tourism Development Towards Sustainability. Indonesia, as the leader, facilitates the interests of ASEAN Committee members in Seoul with the AKC Secretariat concerning cultural promotion and tourism exchange programs. The Working Group Chair fosters communication between ASEAN member country representatives in Seoul and AKC-related organizations. Indonesia's leadership in the AKC Working Group reflects recognition from ASEAN member country representatives in Seoul and the AKC Secretariat. The Chair directs the focus on strengthening cooperation in tourism, culture, and the creative economy between ASEAN member countries and South Korea, contributing to economic growth, sustainable development, and fostering friendship within the ASEAN-South Korea partnership. Social and cultural cooperation is integral to the ASEAN Economic Community, outlined in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Blueprint for 2025.
