1. Vice Foreign Minister Lee Tae-ho attended the High Level Dialogue on Indo-Pacific Cooperation held in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 20. At the event, he shared with the other participants the vision and goals of the New Southern Policy of the government of the Republic of Korea and expressed the willingness to cooperate for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

2. In the general debate session, Vice Minister Lee remarked that the ROK government had introduced in 2017 the New Southern Policy toward ASEAN, the Republic of India and other countries with the aim to contribute to co-development of the region and had since been working hard to fulfill the vision to establish a “people-centered community of peace and prosperity.” He went on to suggest that efforts be made for various initiatives in the region to move forward and develop together and in harmony pursuant to such principles as openness, inclusiveness, transparency, respect for international law and norms and ASEAN-centrality.

° The Vice Minister explained that the purpose of the New Southern Policy, the three main pillars of which are “people,” “prosperity” and “peace” (3Ps), is to seek a sustainable growth and inclusive cooperation in a bid to evenly improve the lives of all of the people in the region.

° The Vice Minister, bringing attention to the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit to take place in the ROK toward the end of the year and the plan to hold the Mekong-ROK summit on the occasion of the event, voiced hope for a stronger and broader foundation of cooperation between the ROK and ASEAN.

° Taking note of the active ongoing discussions on various initiatives proposed by and for the Indo-Pacific region, Vice Minister Lee underlined the need for these initiatives to be pursued in a way that values such principles as openness, inclusiveness, transparency, respect for international law and norms and ASEAN-centrality.

° The Vice Minister suggested that, on the basis of the aforementioned principles, the initiatives be used to forge horizontal and interactive partnerships particularly in the field of economic development; and thereby to enhance connectivity, bridge the vertical and horizontal development gaps, and lay the groundwork for common economic growth in the region.

3. On the occasion of the multilateral event, Vice Minister Lee held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand Winston Peters. In the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to step up substantive cooperation between their two countries by following up on what had been agreed by their leaders during the ROK President’s state visit to New Zealand in December 2018. The New Zealand side reaffirmed the country’s unswerving support for the ROK government’s efforts to establish peace and achieve denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

° In addition, the Vice Minister extended condolences and sympathy over the victims of the terrorist attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15. In order to prevent the reoccurrence of such incidents, the two countries agreed to work together in the international community in combating terrorism.

4. On the occasion of the High Level Dialogue, Vice Minister Lee also met with acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs of the United States Patrick Murphy. During the bilateral meeting, the two senior diplomats exchanged views on Korean Peninsula issues in the wake of the Hanoi summit between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, issues concerning the ROK-US alliance, economy and trade, and ways to work together in the Indo-Pacific region; and agreed to continue close high-level communication and consultations between the ROK and the US.

5. The High Level Dialogue on Indo-Pacific Cooperation, an international conference hosted by Indonesia, a pivotal member of ASEAN and the ROK’s main partner for cooperation, is seen to have served as a good opportunity for the ROK to express its willingness to contribute to co-prosperity and peace in the Indo-Pacific region; to inform other countries in the region of the goals of the New Southern Policy; and to discuss with member states of ASEAN and other countries the possibility of cooperation.

* unofficial translation