ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop on Digital Innovation Successfully held in Korea and Brunei Darussalam (June 24 – July 1)

ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop on Digital Innovation Successfully held in Korea and Brunei Darussalam (June 24 - July 1)

- Timor-Leste Participates for the First Time Following Its 2025 Accession to ASEAN; Future Generations to Lead ASEAN-Korea Digital Cooperation -

The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC, Secretary General Kim Jae-shin) convened young leaders from the ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Korea for the '2026 ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop' from June 24 to July 1 in Daejeon, Korea, and Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, under the theme "Empowering ASEAN-Korea Youth: Digital Innovation for Inclusive Development". Since 2012, the workshop has taken place in Korea and the AMS, addressing themes aligned with regional and global priorities while promoting youth exchange and cooperation. Over the past decade, the program has brought together and nurtured around 1,000 ASEAN-Korea youth leaders, establishing itself as a key platform for people-to-people exchanges between the two regions.

Now in its 12th year, the workshop was co-organized with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). A total of 50 undergraduate and graduate students from Korea and the 11 AMS took part, leading practical discussions on digital innovation, inclusive development, and youth-led policy proposals. Participants were selected through an open application process and nominations from the embassies of the respective AMS in Korea, comprising the undergraduate and graduate ASEAN and Korean students studying in Korea, and ASEAN students from universities across AMS. This year's program marked a significant milestone with the participation of Timorese students for the first time following the Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN in October last year.

Throughout the program, participants took part in expert lectures, discussions, site visits, and team-building activities centered on digital innovation, inclusive development, and ASEAN-Korea cooperation. In Korea, participants visited the KAIST Dynamic Robot Control and Design Lab, HiKR Ground, and the AKC including Seoul ASEAN Hall. In Brunei Darussalam, they toured Kampong Ayer, Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, and the Brunei Innovation Lab, etc. They also attended a lecture delivered by an official from the Ministry of Finance and Economy, where they learned about Brunei's policy initiatives in finance, economy, and digital innovation. Ahead of the closing ceremony on June 30, participants presented policy proposals on digital innovation that reflected on a whole week of their learnings.

Participants also shared positive reflections on their experiences. One participant from Korea noted, "Through the visits in Brunei Darussalam, I came to realize that digital innovation goes beyond technology itself and is shaped and disseminated within the cultural and social contexts of each community." A student from Timor-Leste, who joined the workshop for the first time this year, remarked, "It was particularly meaningful to participate in this workshop as Timor-Leste's first engagement as an ASEAN member state. Through discussions with fellow participants from Korea and across ASEAN, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of diverse cultures and perspectives, thus discovering the true potential of cooperation."

In addition to the Secretary General of the AKC, senior officials from Brunei Darussalam and Korea attended the workshop's opening and closing ceremonies. Namely, H.E. Pg Hjh Nooriyah PLW Pg Hj Yussof, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the Republic of Korea, and H.E. Sun Nahm-kook, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam, offered words of encouragement and support to the participants.

Secretary General Kim Jae-shin of the AKC remarked, "With Timor-Leste joining for the first time this year, the workshop has fully taken shape as an inclusive 11-country framework. Since digital transformation is not merely a matter of technology but of the people who set its direction, I hope this gathering will serve as a platform where young people themselves craft those answers."

Annex 1. Program Outline

Annex 2. Program Poster

Photo 1.

▲ ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop participants pose for a group photo with Secretary General Kim Jae-shin of the ASEAN-Korea Centre; Sun Nahm-kook, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Brunei Darussalam; and Professor Joyce Teo of Universiti Brunei Darussalam during the closing ceremony of the program. June 30, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Secretary General Kim Jae-shin poses for a group photo with the "Implementation of the ASEAN-ROK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) Vision" Session speakers at the 21st Jeju Forum. June 26, The Haevichi Hotel & Resort Jeju.

Photo 2.

▲ Ha Dae-goog, Director of the ASEAN Cooperation Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivers a lecture on ASEAN-Korea relations. June 25, ASEAN-Korea Centre, Seoul.

Photo 3.

▲ ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop participants visit the KAIST Vision Hall. June 26, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon.

Photo 4.

▲ ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop participants present their policy proposals. June 30, Universiti Brunei Darussalam.

Photo 5.

▲ ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop participants tour the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque in Brunei Darussalam. June 28, Brunei Darussalam.