[News Video]First ladies of ASEAN member nations talk Korean Wave "Greeted by Jang keun Suk"

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Video News:ARIRANG NEWS

Ask someone in Southeast Asia what comes to mind when you mention "Korea," and the answer is more than likely to be the "Korean Wave."
The region of more than 60 million people was the first outside of Korea to embrace K-pop music back in the late 1990s.
The first ladies of the ASEAN member nations got a look at the place where the wave originated during this week's Korea-ASEAN Summit.

Greeted by popular Korean actor Jang Keun-suk at the Busan Cinema Center, the ladies enjoyed clips of popular Korean movies that were made especially for the event.
They said K-pop, K-dramas and K-movies had captured the attention of the younger generation back home, and they look forward to what's coming next.

"They like something very new, very exciting, very vigorous, very energetic. I think this is why this is very well received by the young Malaysians."

(Cambodian)
"As you may know, Korean movies are quite popular in Cambodia. Korean movies also play a role in educating Cambodians, as they view these Korean movies as role models for their lives."

It's one reason that the number of tourists from Southeast Asia has been on a steady rise in recent years.
Last year, the total reached one-and-a-half million.

(stand-up)
"Citing cultural simularities as one of the main reasons the Korean Wave has been so popular throughout Southeast Asia, the first ladies of the ASEAN member nations expressed hope that the influence of soft power will continue to strengthen cultural ties between Korea and the region.


Connie Kim, Arirang News, Busan."
Reporter : connie1223@arirang.co.kr

[News]Spouses of ASEAN leaders enjoy special events in Busan

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Photo credit as tagged
Original news: YONHAPNEWS

South Korea's presidential aide for political affairs on Friday hosted events for spouses of ASEAN leaders on the occasion of the ASEAN-Korea commemorative summit, the foreign ministry said.

Senior presidential secretary Cho Yoon-sun warmly greeted first ladies from six Southeast Asian countries -- Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand -- for a set of events ranging from cultural ones to a luncheon, the ministry said.

The leaders from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are in South Korea's southernmost port city of Busan to attend the two-day ASEAN-Korea commemorative summit that will run until Friday. The talks were designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their relations.

The first ladies enjoyed about 100 traditional and contemporary fine arts of ASEAN members at a special exhibition held in the Busan Museum of Art, it said.

Later, they watched highlights of famous movies produced by Seoul and ASEAN at the Busan Cinema Center, a main venue for the annual movie festival here.

They also experienced a film-shooting program such as hand printing, together with Jang Keun-suk, a South Korean singer and actor who is popular in Asia.

The luncheon was prepared to treat the wives of ASEAN leaders to Korean dishies that include seafood to show off features of Busan, the government said.

Patchwork scarves with colors that are tailored to the preferences of each first lady were prepared as gifts by South Korean President Park Geun-hye, it said.

Separately, Cho prepared a set of Korean cosmetics, from a local brand popular throughout Asia, as well as books of Korean foods as presents.

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By Kim Soo-yeon
BUSAN, Dec. 12 (Yonhap)
sooyeon@yna.co.kr