Chinese youth delegation visits S. Korea for 1st time in 6 yrs for exchange program
A Chinese youth delegation has visited South Korea for the first time in six years as part of a bilateral exchange program, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday.
A 53-member delegation arrived in South Korea on Monday for a six-day stay, during which they were to participate in various cultural exchange programs in Seoul and on the southern resort island of Jeju, according to the ministry.
It marks the first visit by a Chinese youth delegation since 2019, following a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The youth exchange program, co-hosted by the Korea Foundation and the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, resumed in 2024 after a five-year break due to the pandemic.
Last year, a South Korean delegation visited China as part of the exchange initiative.
"The promotion of cultural and people-to-people exchanges, as well as fostering mutual goodwill, is crucial in the relations between South Korea and China," Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Byung-won said during a welcoming ceremony.
Calling young people the "hope and future" of the relations of the two nations, Chung emphasized their role as a bridge for the development of bilateral ties.
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