Minister Prak Sokhonn,
Thank you all for your very warm welcome.

Mr. Co-Chair, Fellow Ministers and Heads of Delegation,  

It is indeed a great pleasure for me to attend today’s meeting. Let me begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to Minister Balakrishnan and Singapore for the excellent arrangements made for this meeting. This is already my third visit to Singapore this year, and each time, I am deeply impressed and very grateful for the warm and generous hospitality.  

I would also like to thank Senior Minister Prak Sokhonn for his very capable leadership as ROK’s Country Coordinator for the past three years. And I would also like to congratulate, in advance, Minister Erywan as you take up the country coordinatorship at the close of this meeting.

Let me also take this opportunity to convey my deepest sympathies to the Government and people of Laos regarding the devastating failure of the Xe Pian-Xe Nam Noy hydropower dam last week. My most heartfelt condolences go out to the families of victims and those affected, and my very earnest wishes for their swift recovery. The Republic of Korea government and people stand ready to assist in relief efforts and will work very closely with both the Lao Government and people to this end.

Distinguished Colleagues, and Ladies and Gentlemen,

Having celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, ASEAN has now embarked on a journey toward the next 50 years. Throughout the course of the five decades, ASEAN has institutionalized dialogue and cooperation in this region and established a wide range of multilateral mechanisms. Today, ASEAN plays a central role in convening regional strategic forums, setting the agenda, and above all, bringing world leaders together to discuss regional and global issues of common concern.

Recognizing ASEAN’s unique importance and relevance, President Moon announced our New Southern Policy during his tour of Southeast Asia last November. This seeks to elevate, as my Co-Chair noted, the ASEAN-ROK Partnership to new heights in all areas of cooperation.

It is an action-oriented vision built on the three pillars of people, prosperity and peace, and one of its key planks is to expand high-level exchanges between our two sides. We are only halfway through 2018, but summit-level exchanges are already thriving. President Moon visited Vietnam in March, and Singapore in July, and President Duterte of the Philippines made an official visit to Korea last June.

I myself have been on about 40 business trips during the past year, 25% of which were to ASEAN Member States. My Deputy Minister and SOM leader behind me is better known in my Ministry as the “ASEAN Deputy Minister” due to his frequent travels to ASEAN. Indeed, this is his seventh visit to ASEAN this year, and I’m sure, there will be many more to come in the coming months.

But actions, not words, will be the testament of our seriousness behind the New Southern Policy, and we are ready to take the next step. This month, we will be establishing an inter-ministerial committee, directly reporting to the Presidential Office, solely dedicated to rolling out the New Southern Policy.

But of course, to have effect, our vision and ambition requires cooperation from ASEAN, and all of its member states, and we count on your full support, and I’m eager to get your insights today as we together chart the course ahead. I look forward to engaging in frank and fruitful discussions on regional and global issues as well, including on the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula. Thank you very much.