Eighteen representatives from five key locations — Ayutthaya (Thailand), Bagan (Myanmar), Hue (Vietnam), Luang Prabang (Lao PDR), and Siem Reap (Cambodia) — are participating based on their expertise in areas such as Art, Crafts & Design; Performing Arts, Visual Arts & Music; and Services & Related Industries. 

In his opening remarks, Mr. KIM Dong Ho, Second Secretary of the Southeast Asia Division 2, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, RoK, emphasized the potential of Mekong countries by stating, “Mekong countries possess unique cultural resources that can be harnessed creatively to enhance livelihoods and foster socio-economic development”. 

Mr. Madhurjya Kumar Dutta, Director of Trade and Investment Facilitation Department at MI,  highlighted that this exchange visit serves as a vital platform for connecting businesses and sharing experiences to enrich the CCIs ecosystem of their respective countries.

In a significant development, MI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mr. LEE young Gang, Chairman of Korean Intangible Culture and Arts Exchange Association (KICCA). This MoU identifies collaborative opportunities in areas such as program organization, publication efforts, and cluster collaborations, joint proposal development, and sustainable initiatives.

The afternoon session focused on Korea’s CCIs development and Intellectual Property (IP) Protection, featuring presentations from notable experts: 

• Mr. Hyun Kim, Senior Producer of Korea Educational Broadcasting System who covered the presentation on the overall landscape of Cultural and Creative industries. 
• Dr. Seng Woo Son, Former President of Korea Institute of Intellectual Property gave the overview of IP protection in the context of Korea’s CCI. 
• Mr. Ho-Sang Shin, Team Leader of Gwangju Institute of Design Promotion, on promoting regional craftsmanship and cultural products through case study of O’HANDs

These discussion aim to equip participants with a foundational understanding of Korea CCI landscape and IP frameworks to enhance their upcoming visit and partnership explorations. This event marks a pivotal step toward fostering ongoing partnerships and contributions within the creative industries sector.