In celebration of the 34th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, a cultural exchange camp is being held for youths from both countries to build friendships through futsal and cultural experiences.
The Korea Youth Association (Chairman Ko Myung-jin) announced that the '2026 Korea-China Youth Futsal Cultural Exchange Camp' will take place from August 21 to 24 at Kyonggi University’s Suwon campus, as well as in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.
A total of 712 participants, including youth teams from both countries, parents, and officials, will take part in the camp. The program includes futsal matches, visits to youth facilities, cultural experiences in Korea, and outings to Seoul Land, allowing the youths to directly experience each other's cultures.
This inaugural event is co-hosted by the Korea Youth Association, the Korea International Cultural Exchange Foundation, the Chinese International Youth Exchange Center (Communist Youth League), and the city of Yantai, China. It is organized by Sportec Korea Co., Ltd., with support from the Chinese Embassy in South Korea, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Suwon Special City, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, the Gyeonggi Future Generation Foundation, Kyonggi University, and the Ajou Media Group, with cooperation from Seoul Land and the Korean Chinese Federation.
On the first day of the camp, August 21, participants will visit the Suwon World Cup Stadium, followed by a tour of the Jungang Yeodam School and a welcome dinner. The schedule will then include futsal tournaments, visits to youth facilities, outings to Seoul Land, and cultural experiences in Korea.
The futsal tournament will be conducted in a round-robin format, culminating in placement matches. Notably, a club exchange match will be held where Korean and Chinese youths will form teams to compete together. This initiative aims to provide an experience that fosters cooperation and communication beyond just a competitive sports event.
This event is significant as it comes at a time when South Korea and China are experiencing a recovery in relations following recent high-level exchanges. The two countries held a summit in Gyeongju during the APEC meeting last November and another in Beijing this January, agreeing to enhance cultural and people-to-people exchanges. They decided to promote cultural exchanges starting with Go and soccer, and to expand cooperation in the fields of drama and film content.
During a visit to China in June, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok also discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations through expanded youth exchanges with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
The Korea Youth Association hopes this camp will serve as an opportunity for the youths of both countries to meet directly and understand each other beyond political and diplomatic relations. Chairman Ko Myung-jin expressed, "I hope that, like the passes exchanged in futsal matches, the youths of both countries will share their hearts and build deep friendships. We plan to actively promote youth exchanges in various fields such as sports, culture, and education starting from this camp."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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