1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha visited the ASEAN Secretariat, located in Jakarta, the Republic of Indonesia, on April 8, during which she met and exchanged views with Secretary-General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi on ways to work with the ASEAN Secretariat on the Republic of Korea’s New Southern Policy and for the success of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the 1^st Mekong-ROK Summit.

2. Minister Kang brought renewed attention to the fact that the dates and the venue of the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the 1^st Mekong-ROK Summit had been officially announced on April 1; spoke of the plan over next seven months to develop substantial deliverables, and to prepare a variety of side events; and asked for continued cooperation of the ASEAN Secretariat.

3. Minister Kang, commending Secretary-General Lim’s leading role in strengthening ASEAN centrality and unity in diversity, requested that the ASEAN Secretariat cooperate with the ROK government in the course of the latter’s implementation of its New Southern Policy.

° The Minister explained that the New Southern Policy, in which the ROK government has placed an unprecedented priority on ASEAN, has the specific vision of establishing “a people-centered community of peace and prosperity” as well as goals regarding 3Ps (people, prosperity and peace). She went on to voice hope that the continued implementation of the New Southern Policy will help the ASEAN-ROK relations take a leap to the next level.

4. Secretary-General Lim, expressing appreciation for the ROK government’s intent to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN through its New Southern Policy, welcomed the announcement that the 2019 ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the 1^st Mekong-ROK Summit will take place in Busan on November 25-27.

° The Secretary-General noted that three consecutive Commemorative Summits being held in the ROK demonstrates ASEAN’s hope for advances in the ASEAN-ROK relations, pledging the ASEAN Secretariat’s active cooperation for the success of the upcoming event.

* unofficial translation