Korea and ASEAN Forge Cultural Cooperation Through ‘Cultural IP’ at 2026 Manila Forum

Korea and ASEAN Forge Sustainable Cultural Cooperation Through ‘Cultural IP’

 • 2026 ASEAN-Korea Innovative Culture Forum to convene on November 7 in Manila, Philippines, bringing together 11 ASEAN Member States and the Republic of Korea

• Concurrent contemporary art exhibition and working group meeting to explore the expansion of cultural IP and multilateral cooperation frameworks

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST; Minister Choe Hwi-young), in collaboration with the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE; President Chang-sik Park), will host the “2026 ASEAN-Korea Innovative Culture Forum” on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at the Ayala Museum in Makati City, Metro Manila. The forum is organized as a flagship initiative under the ‘ASEAN-Korea Partnership Project for Innovative Culture (PIC).’

 In conjunction with the forum, a contemporary art exhibition will run at the same venue from Saturday, November 7 to Friday, November 13, 2026. Furthermore, on Sunday, November 8, the ‘ASEAN-Korea Working Group for Innovative Culture’ will convene at the New World Makati Hotel to advance institutional cooperation.

■ Charting the Future of Cultural IP Rooted in Human Imagination

The forum on November 7 focuses on the central theme: “On Human Creative Sovereignty: Shaping the Future of Imagination and Cultural IP,” examining critical challenges and emerging opportunities surrounding cultural intellectual property (IP). Experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and youth innovators from Korea and 11 ASEAN countries will gather to engage in comprehensive discussions spanning regulatory environments, commercial case studies, multilateral partnerships, and future-generation perspectives.

Following the opening ceremony and keynote address, the forum will proceed with four dedicated thematic sessions:

• Keynote Address: Chang-seop Kim, General Director of Nexon Korea’s MapleStory Division, will deliver the keynote presentation, sharing insights and practical perspectives on creative world-building and the strategic expansion of digital IP.

 • Session 1 (Policy): Focusing on policy frameworks and institutional measures for building a sustainable cultural IP ecosystem. Moderated by Jonathan Tan, Head of the Culture and Information Division at the ASEAN Secretariat, the panel features Ari Juliano Gema (IP attorney, Indonesia), Josephine Rima-Santiago (former Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, IPOPHL), and Dr. Ji Hoon Yang (Associate Research Fellow, Korea Culture & Tourism Institute) to share national policy experiences and strategic directions.

• Session 2 (Industry): Examining real-world cases where cultural ideas evolve into scalable content and industrial value. Moderated by Panu Aree, Content Director from Thailand, the session convenes Le Quoc Vinh (Chairman of Le Group, Vietnam), Yeo Lay Kuan (Founder of Ochre Pictures, Singapore), and Peter Yap (Filmmaker and Executive Director, Myanmar) to discuss frontline creative industry experiences and cross-border IP scalability.

• Session 3 (Cooperation): Exploring multilateral Korea-ASEAN collaboration models that transcend individual national experiences through cultural IP. Moderated by Tara Gujadhur, Co-founder of the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre (TAEC) in Laos, the panel features Zainol Haqim (Group CEO of MyCreative Ventures, Malaysia), Dirce Mendes (Representative of the Traditional Weaving Association, Timor-Leste), and Prof. Young Kyung Ko (Research Professor, Yonsei University) to discuss the valorization of cultural resources and sustainable cooperation pathways.

• Session 4 (Youth): Featuring acclaimed Philippine actor and rapper Elijah Canlas alongside a joint ASEAN-Korea youth delegation comprising innovators from Korea, Brunei, Indonesia, and Cambodia. Mr. Canlas will share his perspective and journey as a rising creative professional developing IP within the content industry, while the youth delegation will present actionable ideas on the responsible stewardship of cultural IP and regional collaboration developed through prior mentorship.

■ Expanding Dialogue Through Contemporary Art and Institutional Partnerships

Running alongside the forum, the contemporary art exhibition “Gathering Point” will welcome visitors from November 7 to 13 at the Ayala Museum. Translating the forum’s core inquiry into visual artistic expressions, the exhibition demonstrates how everyday ideas and indigenous cultural narratives evolve into fresh creative value. Eight prominent artists from six nations—Mark Justiniani (Philippines), Leslie de Chavez (Philippines), Christina Quisumbing Ramilo (Philippines), Ari Bayuaji (Indonesia), Adam Phong (Malaysia), Latthapon Korkiatarkul (Thailand), Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (Thailand), and Kim Joon (Republic of Korea)—present diverse contemporary interpretations of "Gathering."

 On the day following the forum, November 8 (Sunday), the ‘ASEAN-Korea Working Group for Innovative Culture’ will assemble representatives from 13 leading cultural and creative institutions across Korea and 11 ASEAN nations at the New World Makati Hotel. Launched as an inaugural institutional consultative body this year, the working group will map organizational priorities and cooperation demands, outlining key multilateral agenda items for 2027 and developing a long-term network platform connecting cultural institutions across the region.