The 1st ASEAN-Korea Academic Essay Contest

5 July 2016

1. Background:
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), embarked on its journey towards
further integration in 1967, has recently launched the ASEAN Community at the end of
2015, and will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary establishment next year. Amid these
developments in ASEAN, the partnership between ASEAN and Korea continues to make
remarkable progress in a wide range of areas including security, economy, and socioculture. 2017 has been designated as the ASEAN-Korea Cultural Exchange Year by the
leaders of ASEAN and Korea, and it is also when the ASEAN Culture House will be
officially open.
Against this backdrop, the ASEAN-Korea Centre, an inter-governmental organization
mandated to promote economic and socio-cultural cooperation between ASEAN and
Korea, invites students both in ASEAN and Korea to share their perspectives and
knowledge on the ASEAN-Korea relations and the ASEAN Community. These collective
efforts by the future leaders of ASEAN and Korea will be a significant contribution
towards a lasting and genuine partnership between ASEAN and Korea.
2. Theme (one of the following three themes):
(1) ASEAN in the past 50 years, and ASEAN-Korea relations in the next 50 years
Established in 1967, ASEAN is widely recognized as a successful model for regional
integration. What factors have contributed to ASEANs remarkable achievements over
the past 50 years, and what is the path that ASEAN and Korea need to take for a
mutually beneficial partnership?
(2) Where the ASEAN Community is Heading Towards: Challenges and Prospects
Heading towards One Vision, One Identity, One Community, what kind of challenges
lie ahead of the ASEAN Community and how can ASEAN successfully address them?
(3) ASEAN-Korea Socio-cultural Partnership: Towards a Reciprocal Understanding
Ahead of the ASEAN-Korea Cultural Exchange Year and opening of the ASEAN Culture
House in Busan in 2017, it is worth assessing the past and current developments of sociocultural cooperation between ASEAN and Korea. What kind of cooperative efforts have
there been, and what further actions must be taken for a better understanding among the
peoples of ASEAN and Korea?
3. Timeline (Tentative):
July-14 October 2016: Make announcement for competition, and receive essays
17-31 October 2016: Judging
1 November 2016: Winners Announcement
1

 2 December 2016: Awarding ceremony in conjunction with ASEAN-Korea Youth

Forum
1-5 December 2016: Study trip to Korea for ASEAN students
December 2016-January 2017: Publication of winning essays
January 2017: Study trip to Jakarta, Indonesia for Korean students
3. Details of the Contest
Eligibility: ASEAN and Korean undergraduate and graduate students
Language: English or Korean
Submission: Online application via email essay@aseankorea.org
Format:
English
Korean
4,500 words (10 pages)
3,000 words (10 pages)
Times New Roman

12 points
11 points
1.5 interlinear
1.5 interlinear
*Abstract: 300 words / 1 page
Awards:
- 6 winning essays will be awarded, and printed in an AKC booklet that will be
distributed regionally. Among those selected, essays that are written in English
will also be printed in The Korea Herald, a major English Newspaper in Korea.
- Winners will be offered an opportunity for a study trip (4 nights/5 days) either to
an ASEAN country or to Korea based on their nationalities:
a) Korean students Visits to the ASEAN Secretariat, research institutes, and
cultural sites in Indonesia.
b) ASEAN students Visits to the ASEAN-Korea Centre, universities, and
cultural sites in Korea.
*Travel expenses (airfare, accommodation, etc.) will be covered by the ASEANKorea Centre. /End/