BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

THE Youth Centre yesterday held its first Korea Open Day to attract more youngsters to participate in its activities and promote understanding of foreign cultures.

Vice-president of Brunei Darussalam Taekwondo Association Bahrin Hj Abdul Rahman said the idea of the open day was first developed as part of the internationalisation programme to promote the Youth Centre.

It was also organised to introduce youth to foreign cultures, and to promote understanding and respect of these cultures, he said during the opening ceremony.

“We chose Korea because it has a rich and unique culture, which always puts the country in the limelight, and as we all know, Brunei is no stranger to Korean culture,” Bahrin said.

The vice-president further noted that Korean songs and TV drama are always being played on Brunei radio stations and TV channels.

“Korean food is also a favourite here, and taekwondo is one of the most studied martial arts in Brunei,” he added.

The taekwondo association collaborated with the Youth Centre to hold the open day, while the Taekwondo Peace Corps, South Korean Embassy and the UBD Korean Culture Club also participated.

In an interview, Ak Kamal Ghadafi Pg Hj Suhaimi, head of the Youth Entrepreneurship Unit and International Relations at the Youth Centre, said they had been planning a Korea Open Day for quite long.

“We decided to put it on this year, as we managed to get the Taekwondo Peace Corps to visit Brunei this year. The peace corps is a programme for university students interested in visiting foreign countries to teach taekwondo, while promoting Korean culture at the same time.

“There are about 90 of them around the world now – and four of them are currently in Brunei,” Ak Kamal explained.

He also said there are plans for different open days in the future, adding it would assist in the promotion of different cultures to the people in Brunei.

Acting Director of Youth and Sports Hj Abdul Malik Hj Mohammad, who was the guest of honour, visited exhibition booths at the open day.

The Brunei Times