1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chung Byung-won and Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Kevin Cheok held the fifth ROK-Singapore Policy Consultation in Seoul on Thursday, February 20.

2. Both sides agreed to make concerted efforts to faithfully implement the follow-up measures to the Korea-Singapore Summit held in October last year including the establishment of a strategic partnership this year, and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in a range of areas such as bilateral relations, trade and investment, green economy, and science and technology cooperation including R&D, as well as cooperation on regional and global stages.

3. Both sides concurred that Korea and Singapore, with their outstanding human capital and technological capabilities, are optimal partners for future cooperation. In particular, they agreed to expand mutually beneficial and strategic collaboration in areas such as global governance and practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) as well as climate change responses including regional carbon market activation and the carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) scheme. Deputy Minister Chung also requested the Singaporean side’s active support for and attention to Korean companies operating in various sectors in Singapore, including infrastructure and finance.

4. Deputy Minister Chung highlighted that the establishment of the ASEAN-ROK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership last year has provided strong momentum for ASEAN-ROK cooperation to take a leap forward. He requested Singapore’s support and cooperation for the successful adoption this year of the “ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action (2026–2030),” which will serve as a blueprint for next five years of cooperation between both sides. Deputy Secretary Cheok commended Korea for its contributions to regional peace, stability and sustainable growth through the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) and expressed Singapore’s strong commitment to taking an active part in Korea’s efforts to enhance its relations with ASEAN.

5. Both sides shared the view that North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile development and its provocations pose grave threats to peace and stability of not only the Korean Peninsula and the region but also the entire global community. Deputy Minister Chung emphasized that the international community should continue to cooperate against North Korea's provocations and military cooperation with Russia, and for the complete denuclearization of North Korea. On that note, he called for continued cooperation on the multilateral stage, including with ASEAN.

6. Furthermore, both sides expressed high expectations that the variety of commemorative events being planned in both countries to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year will contribute to promoting exchanges and friendly ties between the peoples of both countries. They agreed to work closely to ensure the success of these events.

7. On the same day, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Hong Kyun had a meeting with Deputy Secretary Cheok as well.