August 28, 2026 | UCLG ASPAC hosted the Korea-Indonesia Youth Cultural Exchange in Jakarta, bringing together 46 participants, including 10 interns from both countries who collaborated as organisers. Working together from planning through execution, the interns designed an experience that reflected their own perspective on what meaningful cultural exchange looks like, turning the event into a genuine collaboration between the younger generation of both countries rather than a top-down programme.
Following welcoming remark from Dr. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, Secretary-General of UCLG ASPAC, and Mr. Chung Hae Kwan, Minister and Consul General of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to Indonesia, the Korean and Indonesian interns took turns introducing their home cities. The Korean interns promoted Jeonju, highlighting its best-known attractions and signature local dishes, while the Indonesian interns presented Jakarta, showcasing its landmarks and everyday city life. The Indonesian interns also gave a brief introduction to UCLG ASPAC and its role in advancing city-to-city cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region.
Participants took part in a series of hands-on cultural activities, including a Hangeul (Korean alphabet) learning session and Ddakji, a traditional Korean paper-flipping game. The group also played Dongdaemun, a classic Korean children’s game similar to Indonesia’s Ular Naga, in which two participants form an arch with their arms while the rest pass underneath in a line — bringing laughter and energy to the afternoon as the game closed in on the last person through.
A highlight of the exchange came during the networking session, when participants gathered around a custom four-cut photo frame designed by one of the interns specifically for the event, blending Korean hanok and Indonesian temple motifs alongside the flags of both nations. As participants took turns posing together, the frame became a natural icebreaker, helping the atmosphere settle into one of genuine warmth and friendship as the event drew to a close.
UCLG ASPAC’s Korea-Indonesia Youth Cultural Exchange offered a preview of what cross-cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchange can look like when the next generation is given the room to lead — a reminder that lasting partnerships between nations often begin with the connections young people build, and choose to build, themselves.
