This post originally appeared on @theU and was published September 23, 2025. This article is republished here with permission.
This summer, Incheon, South Korea welcomed the world as more than 5,800 participants from 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies gathered for the 2025 meetings. Over three weeks, ministers and high-level officials met at Songdo Convensia to address pressing global issues, from digital transformation and AI to food security and women’s economic empowerment.
But amid the full schedule of policy discussions, APEC leaders also stepped into a different kind of dialogue—one shaped not by speeches and statistics, but by culture, tradition and human connection.
Tradition meets diplomacy at Daryewon
At Daryewon in Michuhol Park, the City of Incheon and Korea’s National Masters—renowned artisans designated for preserving the nation’s Intangible Cultural Heritage—hosted a traditional cultural program for ministerial-level representatives on Aug. 9 and Aug. 13, 2025. The event opened with “Gongsu and Baerye,” a Korean greeting of respect and sincerity, setting the tone for an afternoon of meaningful exchange.
Participants experienced:
- Natural dyeing and Hanbok: discovering the elegance of Korea’s indigo and traditional dress
- Tea ceremony: savoring the philosophy held in a single cup
- Traditional desserts: sharing sweetness as a language of connection
- Straw craft: weaving works of care and wisdom
- Creative writing: “You Are the History”: reflecting on values to carry into the future
One guest reflected, “This was my first time experiencing something like this. From the moment we stepped into Daryewon, we were warmly welcomed. It was truly meaningful—an exchange beyond words.”
Students as cultural ambassadors
Supporting this high-profile program were student volunteers from the University of Utah Asia Campus External Relations Office. As interpreters, assistants and cultural guides, these students ensured that global delegates could fully engage in the experience. Their efforts turned translation into connection, embodying the role of cultural ambassadors who helped diplomacy unfold in new, human-centered ways.
Carrying the mission forward
For the University of Utah Asia Campus, this was more than a volunteer opportunity. It was a chance to live out its mission as a global campus—building bridges between Korea and the world, between tradition and modernity and between students and global leaders.
As Utah Asia Campus continues to host programs that celebrate both heritage and innovation, moments like APEC remind us that diplomacy can happen not only in conference halls, but also at a tea table, within the folds of a Hanbok, or in the shared creativity of making something together.
In Incheon’s Daryewon, for one unforgettable afternoon, the world truly felt at home.