52 participants from Universitas Indonesia, ASEAN Youth Organization join
Mock summit adopts joint declaration on youth-led cooperation
The Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation brought together Korean and ASEAN youth for a mock summit to explore pathways toward a low-carbon economy and youth-led regional cooperation.
The foundation held the "2026 Mock Korea-ASEAN Summit" at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday, it announced Friday.
A total of 52 people took part, including 19 students from the CMK ASEAN School — a program the foundation runs jointly with Korea University's Asiatic Research Institute — along with 20 students from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Indonesia and 13 youth members of the ASEAN Youth Organization.
The mock summit was held under the theme "Strengthening Korea-ASEAN Cooperation for an Inclusive, Sustainable and Youth-Led Low-Carbon Economy." Participants discussed future areas of Korea-ASEAN cooperation around three agendas: building youth capacity through education and research, expanding the role of youth in climate action and the low-carbon transition, and supporting youth entrepreneurship and inclusive economic participation.
The event was designed to replicate the actual negotiation process of a Korea-ASEAN summit as an educational program. Participants were divided into 13 delegations of three to four members each, with every team representing a different country. They analyzed joint statements from Korea-ASEAN summits over the past five years, then drafted country position papers and a joint declaration. The process included a first round of preliminary negotiations held in hybrid format in Seoul and a second round in Jakarta before the final summit session.
Ambassador Lee Cheol of the Korean Mission to ASEAN, Piti Srisangnam, secretary-general of the ASEAN Foundation, and Naraya S. Suprapto, deputy secretary-general of the ASEAN Secretariat, attended the event.
"This program was a platform for cooperation built not only by CMK ASEAN School students but also by youth from Universitas Indonesia and the ASEAN Youth Organization," Ambassador Lee said. "It will remain important to nurture the capabilities of the next generation through active exchanges with local students going forward."
Na Yu-bin, a fourth-cohort CMK ASEAN School student who served as chair-country representative at the mock summit, said the experience deepened her interest in and affection for ASEAN. "I hope to keep engaging as a young person who bridges Korea and ASEAN," she added.
After deliberations, participants adopted a joint declaration calling for Korea-ASEAN cooperation and active youth engagement in pursuit of sustainable development and a low-carbon economic transition.
The participants also reached a shared understanding that the low-carbon economy — at a time when both climate action and industrial transformation are urgently needed — directly affects the lives, jobs and economic opportunities of future generations. They agreed that cooperation in which youth participate directly to share experiences and ideas, beyond mere exchanges between countries, is essential. The final joint declaration is to be submitted to the ASEAN Secretariat through the Korean Mission to ASEAN.
Meanwhile, the 19 fourth-cohort CMK ASEAN School students had been traveling through three countries — Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia — since Aug. 9, visiting universities, research institutes and international organizations. They returned to Korea on Friday, marking the end of the program.
Building on the "CMK-ASEAN Partnership" established with nine local institutions, the foundation plans to develop next-generation talent to lead Korea-ASEAN cooperation and expand opportunities for exchange and collaboration with youth in the region.
eyre@heraldcorp.com
