States were requested to review the training modules and curric­ulum proposed and to explore funding mechanisms. The ASEAN JSC on GMP Inspection was also advised to consider making use of ISPE regional conferences and seminars to publicize the ASEAN harmonization initiative on GMP inspection, as well as to seek out training opportunities via ISPE aliates in the Asia-Pacific region. These included the Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand and Phil­ippines ISPE Aliates.

MRA were also shared with participants at several other ISPE Con­ferences over the years. These conferences included the:

that the training courses be conducted in South Korea. This arrange­ment was intended to facilitate seamlessly the conduct of classroom lectures in South Korea, supplemented with experiential training in the form of on-site visits to pharmaceutical manufacturers, also located in South Korea. The language of training and instruction would be in English. The ASEAN JSC on GMP Inspection agreed in principle with the proposals from Korea MFDS. Following the May 2016 Siem Reap meeting, one event after another happened very quickly. An ASEAN delegation of pharmaceutical GMP inspectors, including Chair of ASEAN JSC on GMP Inspection, was invited to participate in the 2016 Korea-ASEAN Pharmaceutical GMP Con­ference, held in Seoul from 18 to 20 October 2016. The agenda for this conference included country presentations from South Korea and ASEAN delegates and site visits to Myung In Pharmaceuticals and other South Korean pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, as well as a taste of South Korean cuisines and an immersion into South Korean culture — all very educational, interactive and highly enriching for everyone. There was also high-profile media coverage,

Seoul, 18–20 October 2016

Korea Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Manufacturers Asso­ciation. This inaugural training course included both classroom lectures as well as site visits to selected South Korean pharmaceuti­cal manufacturing facilities. The second and third training courses for ASEAN inspectors were conducted in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Again, there were didactic classroom lectures together with experi­ential site visits to pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities such as LG Chemicals and CJ Healthcare, a company with the catchy slogan “Heal the World”, which sounded like a Michael Jackson hit song. There were also visits to biopharmaceutical manufacturing facil­ities such as Samsung Biologics and Celltrion. These South Korean pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical manufacturers had state-of­the-art facilities and manufacturing standards, comparable to other world-class MNC pharmaceutical manufacturers.