The International Youth Exchange Program, promoted by Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and International Youth Exchange Network, dispatches youths of age between 16 and 24 to 21 different countries. For example, one specific program contains visitation to Vietnamese Youth Organization and industrial facilities. After completion of all activities, the members participate in a post workshop to build up unity and cooperation for a sustainable future.Among many teams, the Vietnam team visited Hanoi, Vietnam from July 25 to Aug. 4. The team visited the Korean Embassy and Cultural Center, National Youth Committee of Vietnam, experiencing the local life of Vietnam through home stay. On visiting the embassy, Consulate General Oh remarked, “This year celebrates the 20th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relationships between Korea and Vietnam. The present and future relationship should target forward to the state of ‘strategic cooperative companion,’ meaning that the level of exchange should not reside in concerns of practical calculation but head toward development through cooperative efforts.
The program did consist of not only formal meetings but home stay activities for Korean youths to experience and observe the local life of Vietnam and to form a skin-to-skin relationship with Vietnam youths. The team also visited Ha Long Bay, one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature, experiencing exotic nature of Vietnam and also each other’s culture through music and performances.
Completing the international exchange program with Vietnam, Moon Da-in, a student at Chungju Joongang Girl’s High School, said, “This exchange program taught me the significance of international youth exchange in this globalized era. Thus, it inspired me to further participate in this kind of programs. I’ll keep on looking back at the memories I made in Vietnam through c cooperation with not only my teammates but the Vietnamese friends.”
In addition, Kim Sang-Jin, a student at Chungnam National University, said “Meeting variety of youths from Korea and Vietnam and voluntarily cooperating in the international exchange team provided me with a chance for fostering a sense of community.”
