Stepping up as a Mission of ROK to ASEAN Online Supporter

Bidding farewell to June 2020 was no easy task. It meant that half of the year had passed while the world battles against invisible enemies — and not just the COVID-19 coronavirus. There are equally dangerous ‘viruses’ out there embedded into the hearts and minds of people around the world. While we speak of equality, empowerment and multilateralism, how many times have we questioned our abilities to truly create change?

The Mission of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN was established in October 2012 and is based in Jakarta. As a signifier of Korea-ASEAN relations, the Mission is actively involved in promoting cultural and people to people understandings between ROK and the ten ASEAN member states, as well as to engage with the ten ASEAN dialogue partners.

Thanks to our fellow Honorary Reporter who shared the Mission’s recruitment post, I was fortunate to have this opportunity to represent my country — Thailand, to expand my passion for South Korea, and to better understand my role as an ASEAN Youth in fostering stronger Korean-ASEAN relations through Track II diplomacy.

I was overjoyed that day the selection email appeared in my mailbox and I quickly learned that we are a diverse team of nearly thirty ASEAN youths. What connects us even more is our passion and common vision of promoting Korea-ASEAN culture, language and multilateral developments. And the best part? Some of the Online Supporters are also Honorary Reporters! We truly are one big family.

We had the chance to meet everyone virtually during the opening ceremony graced by Ambassador Lim Sungnam himself and got to learn more about the history of ROK-ASEAN relations, diplomatic achievements as well as opportunities for further cooperation through honorable guest speakers. More importantly, we were inspired by the potential impact of our contributions to the future of Korea and ASEAN.

As we embark on this journey as Mission of ROK to ASEAN Online Supporters, I wish us all the best in staying up to date with new Korean-ASEAN developments. One the same note, be confident in unleashing our creativity to produce quality content that showcase the diversity and beauty of our ASEAN Community!