The 2020 ASEAN-ROK Culture Innovation Summit was held virtually from 21 (Wed) to 22 (Thu) October at Gwangju, the hub city of Asian culture, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) of the Republic of Korea and co-organized by Korean Foundation of International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE) and Asia Culture Center (ACC). The ACC is a symbolic venue that embodies the determination of ASEAN and Korea towards co-prosperity. It was also the venue for the Special AMCA Plus ROK Meeting last year.

The Summit inaugurated with an opening speech by Mr. Rithy Phan, a globally renowned filmmaker of Cambodia. He shared his views on the role of cultural contents in overcoming the painful history of Cambodia and delivering a message of hope, and also on the value of ASEAN-ROK cooperation. His speech was followed by a discussion on ‘Change and Challenge through globalization of tradition’ by Iho An, vocalist of the band ‘Leenalchi’, and Tri Minh, musician from Vietnam.

On the second day (22 Oct), cooperative organizations that will serve as the foundation for ASEAN-ROK cultural exchange was introduced, and coexisting measures were sought. Seok-geun Oh, Chairman of the Korean Film Council, and Hyein Kim, Researcher at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, introduced plans to establish the ASEAN-ROK Film Organization and the ASEAN-ROK Visual Arts Organization respectively. Mary Kathleen Quiano-Castro, Editor-in-Chief of the ASEAN Magazine, and Duong Bich Hanh, Chief of Culture Unit at UNESCO Bangkok Office, shared information on activities and policies in the fields of culture and arts of ASEAN countries.

Furthermore, Harlif Mohamad, film director of Brunei, Ho Tzu Nian, artist and film director of Singapore, and Peap Tarr, artist from Cambodia who directed the design of art hotel in Bangkok, presented case studies of collaboration that transcends national borders and industries.

The Summit also showcased various cultural events jointly prepared by cultural professionals and artists of ASEAN and Korea. On the first day, the performance by Asia Traditional Orchestra, an ensemble of traditional instruments from 11 Asian countries, marked the opening of an event of cultural professionals and artists of ASEAN and Korea. The Asia Traditional Orchestra played a new piece ‘One under the same sky’ under the theme of people, one of the 3 pillars of the New Southern Policy, with wishes to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.

The second day ended with a collaborative performance between the Korean band ‘Leenalchi’ and Bertha Puspita of Indonesia. Leenalchi has been gaining popularity with their music, a fusion between pansori and modern sound. Bertha Puspita is an emerging clothes designer from Indonesia with keen interest in Korean culture, and has launched a product named ‘Youngwoong’. She produced the stage costume for Leenalchi, which led to a synergy effect of exchange and cooperation between cultures of ASEAN and Korea.

In addition, a joint exhibition by ASEAN and Korea titled ‘ASEAN-ROK: Encounters’ was launched as a side event. The exhibition by Malaysian writer Yee I-Lann, Singaporean writer Ho Tzu Nyen, and Korean writer Hong Young-in was be held until 29 (Sun) November at the Asia Culture Center