1. Organized by the Busan Metropolitan City and sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a welcoming event marking 15 days ahead of the 2019 ASEAN-the Republic of Korea (ROK) Commemorative Summit will take place at the Korea National Maritime Museum at Yeongdo-gu, Busan, on November 10, from 13:30 to 15:00, under the theme “ROK+ASEAN, Into the Blue.”

2. The upcoming event will be held in cooperation with the Busan Metropolitan City and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the aim to draw public attention to the 15-day-ahead Commemorative Summit. The event will bring together the Foreign Minister, the Mayor of the Busan Metropolitan City and ambassadors from ASEAN countries in the ROK. In addition, multicultural families and key figures living in Busan will be invited to the event which will also be open free to visitors.

3. The forthcoming event will kick off with opening events such as a flashmob and a marching band at 13:30. The following events will feature high-altitude military parachuting conducted by the special mission unit of the Republic of Korea Air Force and Black Eagles air show, along with various special events. In addition, a special song on ASEAN titled “Side by Side,” narrating peace and love, composed by Kim Hyung-suk and featured by singers from the ROK and the ten ASEAN countries, will be released for the first time at the event. The main event will be on air through the Korea Broadcasting System (KBS) 1TV from 14:10 for 55 minutes.

4. Visitors to the event will also be given the opportunities to board the Seoae Yu Seong-ryong destroyer, an Aegis combat craft, on November 9, the day before the event, from 13:00 to 17:00 and on November 10, the opening day of the event, from 09:00 to 13:00. This event will offer entertaining programs and enjoyable first-hand experience to visitors during the weekend.

5. The 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the 1^st Mekong-ROK Summit will be held in venues including the BEXCO and the Nurimaru in Busan on November 25-27, bringing together leaders, government officials, businesspeople and journalists from the ROK and the ten ASEAN countries.

6. The upcoming Commemorative Summit, which comes after the previous one in 2014, consists of bilateral meetings and a variety of about 40 special events such as an ASEAN-ROK Culture Innovation Forum, the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Food Street, an Obaeknahan (translated as “five hundred statues”) special exhibition, an ASEAN-ROK fashion week, a smart city fair and an administrative innovation exhibition which citizens can enjoy.

7. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been closely communicating with the ASEAN side and fully preparing for the success of the Commemorative Summit, and will continue to step up the promotion of the Commemorative Summit to be set up as a diplomatic event where Korean people can participate and share their understanding.