4-5-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a resounding affirmation of South Korea’s unwavering commitment to strengthening its relations with Southeast Asia, a key adviser to President Yoon Suk-yeol has emphasized that “nothing is off the table” as the nation seeks to deepen ties with the ASEAN bloc. Dr. Park Cheol-hee, the chancellor of the prestigious Korea National Diplomatic Academy, which trains South Korean diplomats, described the region as a “lifeline and not a luxury item.”
“The whole ASEAN region is very important to us,” Dr. Park asserted, on the final day of his three-day visit to Singapore. His trip involved meetings with think-tanks and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, underscoring the significance Singapore holds in South Korea’s diplomatic outreach efforts.
Highlighting South Korea’s unique position, Dr. Park emphasized, “There is nothing that we cannot do here, and we have a great advantage in approaching this region. We have no historical baggage here like Japan has. Korea does not pose any security threat to any ASEAN country. We don’t have any hidden agenda to exploit ASEAN economically or culturally. We are sharing our benefits. The good thing is we have laid a kind of trustworthy and reliable foundation of cooperation between Korea and ASEAN countries.”
South Korea made remarkable strides in deepening its engagement with Southeast Asia during the tenure of former president Moon Jae-in. His signature New Southern Policy, launched in 2017, sought to elevate ties with the regional bloc to the same level as four major powers – the United States, Japan, China, and Russia. Mr. Moon became the first South Korean president to visit all 10 ASEAN countries during his term, actively promoting the region to South Koreans ahead of the 2019 ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit.
The fruits of these efforts are evident in the flourishing economic ties between South Korea and ASEAN. The regional bloc has become South Korea’s second-largest trade partner, after China. Bilateral trade between South Korea and ASEAN grew from US$147 billion (S$198.4 billion) in 2017 to US$208 billion in 2022, while South Korea’s investment in ASEAN increased from US$5.28 billion in 2017 to US$8.89 billion in 2021.
After President Yoon Suk-yeol assumed office in May 2022, concerns arose among scholars that South Korea’s ties with ASEAN might take a backseat, overshadowed by a broader Indo-Pacific Strategy led by the United States. While Mr. Yoon announced his administration’s Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) during his November 2022 trip to Phnom Penh to attend the 23rd ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit, the initiative has yet to receive widespread promotion due to South Korea’s other priorities. These include closer alignment with its security ally the US, restoring strained ties with Japan, and bolstering engagement with the Middle East.
However, as South Korea and ASEAN mark 35 years of diplomatic ties in 2024, the stage is set for a pivotal shift in their relationship.
Dr. Park, widely regarded as President Yoon’s “diplomatic brain,” visited Singapore and Malaysia as part of a larger study trip that also took him to Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia in February. During his time in Singapore, he met with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, and Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, who is also the executive deputy chairman of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Their discussions encompassed the region’s geopolitical and geo-economic landscape, according to the South Korean Embassy in Singapore.
“When I return to Seoul, I will report to our foreign minister and, then, the Office of the President. They will ask me what can be done, and I will answer, ‘There is nothing that we cannot do,'” Dr. Park declared, referring to collaboration with ASEAN.
“I will convey the message that this region should be regarded much more importantly than before, in all domains, not only economy and trade, but also capacity building, industrial cooperation, R&D (research and development), people-to-people exchange, and cultural connections.”
Dr. Park further emphasized that South Korea’s approach to ASEAN this time will be far more comprehensive and realistic compared to the previous Moon administration, which he said was primarily focused on pursuing peace on the Korean peninsula and resolving North Korea’s nuclear issue through collaboration with ASEAN.
Citing President Yoon’s own ASEAN plan, KASI, Dr. Park revealed that it is specifically tailored to the needs of Southeast Asian countries and includes a list of some 100 items of cooperation that any ASEAN nation can pursue with South Korea.
“We are going to take a much more concrete, detailed, and action-oriented approach to get tangible outcomes,” he added. “KASI is truly tailored to ASEAN countries only. Each country can take a look at the list and see what they can do with Korea and bring it to their Korean ambassador or the Foreign Ministry, and we can go further.”
Core areas of collaboration include defense cooperation, maritime security, economic security, digitalization, climate change, and cultural exchanges. Notably, there are also plans to increase funding for ASEAN-Korea cooperation projects.
“The priority is elevating the level of cooperation between Korea and ASEAN to a much more comprehensive strategic partnership. That is the overall framework we are aspiring to achieve, and we are heading towards that,” said Dr. Park.
“Again, we are not approaching ASEAN as a luxury item. This is a very critical and necessary item for us.”
