On February 1, 2018, the ASEAN Culture House (ACH) hosted a book launch in collaboration with the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) at Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS) and the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC), to mark the publication of “Understanding ASEAN through Its Great Leaders.”

Published by the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies at Busan University of Foreign Studies and the ASEAN-Korea Centre, the book is intended to serve as a milestone and a guide in strengthening the future ASEAN-Korea relations through understanding ASEAN through its people, great leaders, and history. Present at the event were the authors of the book, including Professors Park Kwang-woo, Ahn Jong-yang, Park Jang-sik, Kim Dong-yeob, Lee Mi-ji and Bae Yang-soo of the Busan University of Foreign Studies, Professor Jeong Yeon-sik of Changwon National University, and Secretary-General Kim Young-sun of the ASEAN-Korea Centre.

The launch at the ACH Seminar Room on the second of the ASEAN Culture House, featured talks by the authors who wrote about Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei, Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, Sukarno of Indonesia, Chao Anouvong of Laos, Bogyoke Aung San of Myanmar, Jose Rizal of the Philippines, King Chulalongkorn of Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, respectively. The talks were followed by a question and answer session with the audience.

We hope everyone in attendance will continue to improve their understanding about the ten ASEAN member states.