1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with the ASEAN-Korea Centre, hosted the ASEAN Expanded Connectivity Forum in Seoul on December 8.

° The ASEAN-Korea Centre has been hosting the ASEAN Connectivity Forum on an annual basis since 2013 to help enhance ASEAN connectivity and promote Korean companies’ participation in ASEAN infrastructure projects. The 2022 Forum, in particular, was arranged to introduce the Korean government’s “Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative” and to seek ways to bolster connectivity cooperation in line with the Initiative in commemoration of the Forum’s 10th anniversary. 

° The Forum brought together Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the Korean Foreign Ministry Choi Youngsam, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre Kim Hae-yong, and government officials of the ASEAN member states, including Cambodian Ambassador and Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS) Chring Botumrangsay, as well as those from ASEAN’s key dialogue partners including Korea, the United States, Japan, Australia and the European Union.

2. ASEAN has highlighted the importance of “connectivity” for economic growth and development of the region, including the establishment of the ASEAN Socio‐Cultural Community, and has continuously encouraged the engagement of its dialogue partners in the project. The Forum, themed “Advancing ASEAN Connectivity through Partnerships among Dialogue Partners,” focused on cooperation through a nexus among connectivity initiatives of dialogue partners. 

° Recognizing the slow progress in and challenges facing ASEAN’s major connectivity projects due to uncertainties in the international situation and the global economic slowdown, participants shared information on cooperation projects on infrastructure and connectivity launched by ASEAN’s key dialogue partners and explored ways to create synergy through connectivity among the projects.

° Participants from ASEAN member states stressed that it is particularly important to carry out needs-based and demand-driven cooperation based on the ASEAN Centrality. They exchanged views on ways to support and coordinate connectivity projects that ASEAN is conducting to implement the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo- Pacific (AOIP). 

3. In his welcoming remarks, Deputy Minister Choi shared the Korean government’s recently announced Indo-Pacific strategy and “Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative,” a policy tailored to ASEAN within the framework of the strategy; and underscored the Korean government’s commitment to contribute to building a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific through greater substantive and strategic cooperation that is mutually beneficial with ASEAN and other key partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

° Recalling the Korean government’s pledge made at the Korea-ASEAN summit in November to double its contribution to ASEAN-related cooperation funds over next five years, the Deputy Minister expressed his hope to see expanded human and infrastructure networks that would serve as a strong base of the “Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative.”

4. In their opening and congratulatory remarks, respectively, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre Ambassador Kim Hae-yong and ACS Chair Ambassador Chring Botumrangsay conveyed their hopes that the Forum would serve as a catalyst for promoting Korea-ASEAN cooperation and connecting the connectivities.

5. The Foreign Ministry will continue to step up substantive cooperation with ASEAN in the areas of infrastructure as well as digital and human networks, including connectivity; and increase its contribution as a facilitator of solidarity and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific through connectivity cooperation with major countries in the region such as the U.S. and Australia.