SEOUL, 2 November 2020 – Starting from 4 November, the ASEAN-Korea Centre will hold the ‘ASEAN Culture and Tourism Showcase 2020’, supported by the ASEAN Secretariat.

The event will present tourist attractions, cultures, and authentic delicacies of ASEAN Member States (AMS) through a series of sub-programs such as ASEAN Tourism Promotion Booth & Photo Exhibition; ASEAN Culture & Tourism Pavilion; EBS ‘the Best Cooking Secrets’ television programme; and the ASEAN Culinary Art Book launching in December.

Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre Lee Hyuk noted that “the ASEAN region is the most loved travel destination for Korean people, with ten million Korean travelers visiting the region in 2019. Unfortunately, the global spread of the Coronavirus has prevented many Koreans from travelling to Southeast Asia this year.’’

‘’In this regard, the ASEAN-Korea Centre is organising the ‘ASEAN Culture & Tourism Showcase 2020’ to provide many Koreans with the chance to relieve their nostalgia for travelling, while simultaneously offering the opportunity to deepen their understanding of culture, tourism, and food of the ASEAN countries,” he concluded.

The ‘ASEAN Tourism Promotion Booth & Photo Exhibition’ and ‘ASEAN Culture & Tourism Pavilion’ aim to bring ASEAN to the heart of Seoul, especially those who are yearning to travel to the region.

The Booth & Exhibition will be held from 4-6 November at the Press Center Garden, showcasing a unique travel experience to ASEAN through photos that vividly capture the beauty of AMS. The photos will be accessible on the ASEAN-Korea Centre website from 4 to 25 November.

The Culture & Tourism Pavilion will be held from 4-25 November at Arc N Book (Euljiro). The Pavilion  aims to bring back memories of previous trips to ASEAN by displaying lifestyle products, artistic objects, musical instruments, and books from ASEAN countries. Starting with the ‘ASEAN Day’ event on 4 November, special national events featuring each AMS will also be held throughout the exhibition.

For those craving for ASEAN dishes, one Korea’s longest running TV cooking shows will feature AMS’ iconic dishes. On each episode, celebrity chef Shin Hyo Sub along with show host Kim Dong-wan, will cook two dishes throughout the five episodes. The series will be aired every day between 9-13 November on EBS1 TV. Viewers can enjoy ASEAN dishes at home while they learn about ASEAN’s culinary culture and cultural backgrounds.

The Culinary Art Book titled Stories Around the Table, will be published in early December. It will delve deeper into the ‘soul food’ and lifestyles of ASEAN people and provide information on signature dishes, recipes, and lifestyles. The photos featured in the book were taken in cooperation with the Embassies of AMS inSeoul.

Program Inquiries:

Cho Hyun-myung, Senior Officer, CTU (+82-2-2287-1133, hmcho@aseankorea.org)

Press Inquiries:

Hwang Ji-seon, Senior Officer, IDU (+82-2-2287-1149, hjs@aseankorea.org)