2004
In July 2004, Asia-Australia Mental Health hosted a high level delegation of Seoul government officals and mental health professionals in Melbourne. Representatives from:
participated in a variety of site visits and lectures about the mental health system in Victoria.
2005
On Friday 13 May 2005, an agreement was signed between the City of Seoul and The City of Melbourne to facilitate and promote the development of bilateral mental health initiatives between our two cities.
The agreement signalled the forming of a bilateral consortium for mental health care involving Asia-Australia Mental Health, Seoul Mental Health Center, Seoul Mental Health Planning & Advisory Council and Yongin Mental Hospital WHO Collaborating Center, to promote information exchange and take a leading role in informing contemporary mental health care in East Asia.
Signatories of the agreement were the Lord Mayor of Melbourne HE The Right Honourable John So and Mr. Lee Choon-Sik Vice Mayor for Political Affairs, Seoul City.
The agreement built on strong links already existing between Asia-Australia Mental Health and their colleagues in Korea.
2006
The second annual meeting of the Seoul-Melbourne International Collaboration in Mental Health Program occurred in March 2006 as part of the Seoul International Mental Health congress. Seven AAMH representatives took leading roles in the proceedings and were hosted by the Seoul partners. A group of 10 Seoul government administrators came to Melbourne in May 2006 for training in community mental health service delivery.
A large education exchange program was planned as part of a 15 year Seoul mental health plan. 15 Korean social workers and nurses undertook training in Melbourne as part of this program in October 2006. Asia-Australia Mental Health also conducted training in Korea for government officials and mental health professionals.
2007
In the next stage of the Seoul-Melbourne International Collaboration in Mental Health Collaboration education exchange program, further in-country training was conducted by Asia-Australia Mental Health and our Seoul partners in Seoul in March 2007. Further to this, another delegation of mental health workers from Seoul undertook a one week training program facilitated by AAMH at NorthWestern Mental Health in Melbourne in October 2007.
Korea is also actively involved in the Asia-Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project. Dr Donghyeon Kim, Coordinator, Mental Health Policy, Division of Mental Health and Welfare, Korea, presented at the APCMHD Symposium held in conjunction with WPA Melbourne in November 2007.
2008
In August 2008, the Asia-Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project Summary Report [pdf, 2.57mb, 92 pages] was published. Korea's Editorial Team, led by Dr Dong Hyeon Kim, Administration, Department of Psychosocial Rehabilitation, National Gongju Hospital, Korea & Dr Tae-Yeon Hwang, Director WHO CC Yongin Hospital Seoul Korea and Head, Mental Health Division, Korean Neuropsychiatric Association contributed to the summary report and also provided a detailed report of Korea's community mental health services.