S. Korea hosts official dinner for ASEAN leaders attending summit

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, June 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea hosted an official
dinner featuring a variety of performances for leaders of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Monday to welcome them to summit talks here, the
culture ministry said.

The leaders of the 10 member states of the regional economic and political
organization were invited to the dinner held at 8 p.m. at Jeju Lotte Hotel,
according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
They were served Korean traditional food, followed by a variety of performances
featuring dance mixed with the nation's martial art, taekwondo, and drawing arts.
The event culminated when an Indonesian signer sang "I Am Sure You'll Be There,"
composed by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the ministry said.
The South Korea-ASEAN special summit that kicked off Monday for a two-day run on
the resort island of Jeju is providing a platform for participants to discuss not
just cooperation and the economy, but also cultural and personal exchanges,
officials said.
Signaling expanded ties in cultural exchanges, an orchestra of musicians from
South Korea and Southeast Asian countries gave its first performance here on
Sunday to commemorate the summit talks to be held this week among their leaders.
The ASEAN-Korea Traditional Orchestra, comprised of 50 nationally recommended
musicians from 10 ASEAN members and 30 musicians from South Korea, performed 12
pieces based on folk songs and traditional melodies of 11 countries.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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