1. Minister of
Foreign Affairs Park Jin attended, as Co-chair*, the 25th ASEAN-ROK
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on August 4. In the
Meeting, Foreign Minister Park presented the ROK government's initiative to
foster greater solidarity with ASEAN. The participants exchanged views on
regional and global issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
※
The ASEAN-ROK Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, attended by the ROK and the 10 ASEAN
member states, has been held every year since 1997.
* As the country
coordinator for the ASEAN-ROK dialogue relations, H.E. Bui Thanh Son, Minister
of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, presided over the
meeting as Co-chair.
2. Foreign Minister
Park shared the ROK government's vision of serving as a global pivotal state
which actively contributes to freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific
region and beyond. In this regard, he explained that the ROK government will
foster greater solidarity with ASEAN, the ROK’s key partner in the Indo-Pacific
region, through substantial, strategic and future-oriented cooperation.
о The ASEAN side
expressed its satisfaction on meaningful advances in the ASEAN-ROK ties in a
whole range of fields and welcomed the new ROK government’s commitment to
further broaden and deepen ASEAN-ROK relationship.
3. The two sides
shared the view that enhanced strategic dialogue is needed between the ROK and
ASEAN in pursuit of regional peace and stability in the region, amidst the
rapid changes in the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific.
о In particular,
Foreign Minister Park emphasized that the ROK would strengthen cooperation in
fields in which ASEAN has a need for collaboration, such as cyber security and
maritime security, and expand cooperation projects for capability-building of
ASEAN in these fields.
4. The two sides
agreed to bolster the foundation for boosting trade and investment through
multi-layered cooperation mechanisms, such as the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade
Agreement (AKFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP),
in order to better respond to growing uncertainties in the global economy due
to COVID-19 and Russia’s armed invasion against Ukraine, among others.
о Foreign Minister
Park emphasized the need to further enhance joint endeavors for economic
security such as strengthening supply chain resilience. He looked forward to
working closely with participating ASEAN countries in developing the
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) into a meaningful platform that substantially
drives economic growth in the region.
5. Foreign Minister
Park also expressed hope to boost common efforts in order to effectively
respond to challenges that directly affect the daily lives of people in the
region, such as infectious diseases, climate change, and natural disasters.
о The two sides
noted that valuable groundwork was laid for expanding joint initiatives in the
health sector through the “1st ASEAN-ROK Health Ministers Meeting”
held in May. The ASEAN side expressed their hope that the ROK, as the “WHO
Global Biomanufacturing Workforce Training Hub*,” would contribute to the
enhancement of vaccine and pharmaceutical production capacity in the region.
* The WHO
designated the ROK as a hub country that provides education and training on
vaccine and pharmaceutical production processes to increase the vaccine
production capacity of low- and middle-income countries (February 2022).
- This year, a
total of 510 trainees including 370 global trainees will participate.
о Foreign Minister
Park explained that the “Partnership for Methane Action*” with ASEAN is being
pursued to support ASEAN's response to climate change. He also expressed his
hope that the 1st ASEAN-ROK Ministerial Meeting on Disaster
Management, which is scheduled to be held this October, will contribute to
enhancing disaster response capacity in the region.
* This is being
pursued as a new flagship project under the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund to
support ASEAN's transition to carbon neutrality and a green economy.
- It will lay the foundation
for concerted efforts for methane mitigation between ASEAN and the ROK through
joint training, technology exchange, and pilot projects.
6. The participants
also exchanged views on major regional and international issues, such as the
North Korean nuclear issue, and the situation in Myanmar and Ukraine, as well
as the South China Sea issue.
о Foreign Minister
Park shared the ROK’s assessments of the situation on the Korean Peninsula,
including the DPRK's launch of ballistic missiles on an unprecedented scale
this year. He stated that the ROK government, while taking a firm stance
against the DPRK's provocations, will keep the door to dialogue open and stay
flexible and open-minded in its dialogue with the DPRK. In addition, Foreign
Minister Park emphasized that the ROK government will take a balanced and
holistic approach to deter the DPRK's nuclear threat, dissuade its nuclear
development, and pursue complete denuclearization through diplomacy. He asked
for support and cooperation from ASEAN countries on the ROK government's
policies.
о Foreign Minister
Park condemned the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, including the recent
executions of democracy activists by the Myanmar military regime. He also
explained that the ROK government is engaging in continued efforts to play a
part in resolving the situation in Myanmar, such as providing an additional 5.6
million USD in humanitarian assistance for the people of Myanmar this year.
о With regard to
the situation in Ukraine and the South China Sea, Foreign Minister Park placed
an emphasis on the importance of resolving issues peacefully in accordance with
international law and norms.
7. The two sides agreed to continue to work closely together for the success of the upcoming ASEAN-related Summits scheduled for November 2022, based on the results of the discussions at this Ministerial Meeting.