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Manila Bulletin devider World devider ASEAN should look inward, do business together

ASEAN should look inward, do business together

Published Sep 16, 2025 09:59 am  |  Updated Sep 16, 2025 01:11 pm
Dr. Chang Dae-Whan, South Korea's former acting prime Minister, current chairman of Maekyung Media Group, and founder of the World Knowledge Forum
Dr. Chang Dae-Whan, South Korea's former acting prime Minister, current chairman of Maekyung Media Group, and founder of the World Knowledge Forum
SEOUL -- Member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should do business together, according to former South Korean acting prime minister Dr. Chang Dae-Whan.
Dr. Chang gave this advice at the sidelines of the 26th World Knowledge Forum held in Seoul, South Korea on Sept. 9-11.
In getting together and doing business together, Chang said this will help make ASEAN become an even bigger and formidable regional trading bloc.
He also offered South Korea, as one of the “ASEAN plus countries” or the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) which operates under the framework of cooperative arrangement, to help the regional bloc in getting the job done.
ASEAN journalists (from left) Isabel de Leon of the Manila Bulletin, Ravi Khandelwal of the Asian News International (ANI), Dr. Chang Dae-Whan, Anucha Charoenpo of the Bangkok Post, and Van Tran of the Vietnam News
ASEAN journalists (from left) Isabel de Leon of the Manila Bulletin, Ravi Khandelwal of the Asian News International (ANI), Dr. Chang Dae-Whan, Anucha Charoenpo of the Bangkok Post, and Van Tran of the Vietnam News
“Ask Korea to do the job. We do it faster,” he said.
During the gala dinner at the Jangchung, Chang said the global situation has very complex crises shaped by protectionism, US-China hegemony competition, and the war in Ukraine and Middle East.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed democratic resilience and communities of “good people” to help mankind navigate the great transition.
“We need the strength to recover from shocks and embrace profound change and seek opportunities,” Dr. Chang said.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek lauded the WKF for serving as the venue for the transformative power of education, share ideas, and inspire others.
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek (3rd from left) with (from left) Ms. Van Tran of the Vietnam News, Anucha Charoenpo of the Bangkok Post, Isabel C. de Leon of the Manila Bulletin, and Ravi Khandelwal of the Asian News International (ANI)
Kazakhstan’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Sayasat Nurbek (3rd from left) with (from left) Ms. Van Tran of the Vietnam News, Anucha Charoenpo of the Bangkok Post, Isabel C. de Leon of the Manila Bulletin, and Ravi Khandelwal of the Asian News International (ANI)
“There is an old Greek saying that goes: ‘A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit,’” he said.
“Fellow educators, let’s plant trees as many as possible like Chairman Chang," he added.
Kazakhstan is repositioning its universities for a more competitive, tech-driven future to become Central Asia’s study destination of choice.
The World Knowledge Forum will return in Seoul on Sept. 8-10, 2026, to coincide with Maeil Business Newspaper’s 60th anniversary.
ASEAN journalists with Yoon-Jae Shin (extreme left) and Yong Seung Chang (extreme right) of the Maeil Business Newspaper
ASEAN journalists with Yoon-Jae Shin (extreme left) and Yong Seung Chang (extreme right) of the Maeil Business Newspaper

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