Congratulatory Remarks

By H.E. Cho Taeyong, Vice Foreign Minister

    at the 7th ASEAN-Korea Centre Annual Council Meeting   

Chairperson Astanah Abdul Aziz,
Ambassador Chung Hae Moon,
Former Prime Minister Lee Hong-koo,
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yu Myung-hwan,
Directors of ASEAN Member States,
ASEAN Ambassadors,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my great pleasure to meet all of you on this special occasion of the 7th ASEAN-Korea Center Annual Council Meeting.

I would like to express my appreciation to Ambassador Chung and his staff for their continued efforts in making the ASEAN-Korea Centre a symbol of friendship and cooperation between our two regions.

Taking this opportunity, I especially thank, among the ASEAN-Korea centre staff, those who came from ASEAN countries.

Last but certainly not least, I extend my gratitude to each one of you for being here today despite your very busy schedules, and I sincerely congratulate the ASEAN-Korea Centre on its sixth anniversary and for successfully convening the sixth meeting of Council Directors.

(ASEAN-ROK Relations)

I am sure last December’s ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit is still fresh on everyone’s minds—a clear milestone in ASEAN-ROK relations that looked back on the last 25 years of friendship.

Our friendship was once founded upon humble beginnings but it is now flourishing by the day. Korea and ASEAN established the Sectoral Dialogue Partnership in 1989. During 25 years, this partnership has achieved so much and as a result, it grew into the Strategic Partnership in 2010.

Remarkable progress has been made in trade and investment. The trade volume has seen a 16-fold increase from 8.2 billion USD in 1989 to 135 billion USD in 2013. This figure places ASEAN as Korea’s second largest trading partner surpassing EU, Japan and the US.

The FTA between Korea and ASEAN was concluded in 2009. Consequently, the trade has grown up by 80% between 2009 and 2013 and ASEAN is now Korea’s third largest investment destination behind the US and China. The free trade agreement has brought us much closer together in trade and investment. Now we are looking ahead by targeting our trade at 200 billion USD by 2020.

People-to-people exchanges between us have been vigorous as well. The number of mutual visitors between two regions has increased 25-fold to 6.5 million. ASEAN is now the most popular destination for Koreans. ASEAN people account for 23 % of the total number of foreign residents (1,450,000) in Korea.

With one year left until the launch of the ASEAN Community, the Commemorative Summit mapped out a new blueprint for the next 25 years in our friendship, serving as the perfect opportunity to expand and deepen ASEAN-ROK cooperation on all levels.

The ASEAN and ROK leaders adopted the Joint Statement on ‘Our Future Vision of the ASEAN-ROK Strategic Partnership’, pledging to strengthen cooperation for regional peace and stability in the areas of politics and security, including non-traditional security areas.

In addition, the leaders agreed to work towards shared prosperity by creating synergy between ASEAN and Korea through the deepening of economic cooperation. In the area of socio-culture, the leaders also expressed the need to spur culture and people-to-people exchange, ultimately enhancing mutual understanding and friendship between our people.

In this context, the leaders agreed to establish the ASEAN Culture House. With your interest and support, I hope that the ASEAN Culture House, to be established in Busan’s Haeundae in 2017, can work closely with the ASEAN-Korea Centre to make a name for itself as a prestigious institution bringing the rich culture of Southeast Asia to Korea.

(ASEAN-Korea Centre’s Role)

The ASEAN-Korea Centre should take great pride in playing a pivotal role in bringing to fruition many of the outcomes of the Commemorative Summit.

Since its launch in 2009, the Centre has implemented numerous projects that helped expand mutual trade, promote investment, spur tourism, and foster culture and people-to-people exchange.

It is inspiring for all of us here to witness the Centre strengthen our two regions’ capacity through the establishment of a business network, knowledge sharing, and technology cooperation.

In addition, the centre has organized a wide range of events, including the ASEAN Film Festival and the ASEAN Road Show, to celebrate the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit.

These events heightened the Korean public’s awareness and understanding of ASEAN and left a lasting impression on both of our people as an outstanding and truly meaningful cultural exchange.

I also hope that the ASEAN-Korea Centre will continue to act as an effective channel in bolstering ties between the two regions.

(Conclusion)

Ladies and gentlemen,

The world is awaiting with much anticipation the historic launch of the ASEAN Community under the leadership of Malaysia—this year’s Chair of ASEAN and the Centre’s Council—with its vision of establishing a truly people-centered ASEAN.

The future for ASEAN-ROK cooperation is brighter than ever, as ASEAN’s vision also mirrors that of the Korean government, which seeks to open up a new era of hope and happiness. At this critical juncture, I hope that the ASEAN-Korea Centre will further serve as a strong bridge that connects the people of ASEAN and Korea.

Like the ASEAN-Korea Centre’s logo, the Möbius strip, I sincerely hope that ASEAN and Korea’s friendship will continue to flourish without boundaries.

I thank you once again for your support in strengthening ASEAN-ROK cooperation, and I hope that with the 7th Annual Council Meeting, the ASEAN-Korea Centre will continue to do its part in elevating ASEAN-Korea relations to new heights.  Thank you. /END