The Iraqi ambassador to Korea and diplomats from other Arab countries have joined a forum to help future leaders from their countries make connections here.

The event co-hosted by the Foreign Ministry and the Korea-Arab Society saw 150 people including Korean and Arab students come together to promote human exchanges between the two regions.

KAS Secretary-General Choi Seung-hoh along with Korea’s ambassador for public diplomacy Ma Young-sam, and the country’s director-general for African and Middle Eastern Affairs Song Woong-yeob attended Tuesday’s event at Pasha restaurant in Seoul.

Arab college students studying here and Korean students interested in the Arab world were also invited.

Diplomats from Sudan, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Kuwait, Oman, Arabia and the UAE were also present at the forum which is now hoped to become a regular event.

“In the meeting organized to build a human network and promote exchanges between next-generation leaders of the two regions, Ambassador Ma Young-sam explained public diplomacy to the college students from here and the Arab world, drawing keen interest from the participants,” a MOFAT spokesperson reported.

“The event is seen to have served as an opportunity for exchanges between the youth of the two regions and has thereby contributed to establishing a friendly base as well as human network among them.”

The Foreign Ministry, KAS and the Saudi Embassy to Korea is seeking to hold a similar meeting every six months from now on.