- He spoke of Korea’s ASEAN priority policy under its new government and expressed support for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 -

1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won attended as Korea’s head delegate the ASEAN Plus Three (ASEAN+3/APT), East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Senior Officials’ Meetings held in Penang, Malaysia, from Tuesday, June 10 to Wednesday, June 11. Ahead of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in July and Summits in October, the Senior Officials’ Meetings covered the progress in cooperation with ASEAN as well as key regional and global developments.

    ※ The ASEAN+3, launched in response to the 1997 financial crisis, comprises the 10 ASEAN member states plus Korea, Japan and China. It seeks to promote cooperation across 20 areas, including economic, health, environmental, and transnational crime issues.

    ※ The East Asia Summit, established in 2005, is a regional strategic consultation forum among leaders of major countries on political and security issues in East Asia.

    ※ The ASEAN Regional Forum was formed in 1994 to build trust and practice preventive diplomacy through dialogue among Asia–Pacific countries for regional security.

2. Deputy Minister Chung emphasized that under its new administration, Korea will continue its policy of prioritizing ASEAN. On that note, he expressed support for the “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future*” vision adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit on May 26.

    * The “ASEAN 2045: Our Shared Future” is a comprehensive strategic document outlining ASEAN’s vision over next 20 years. It consists of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration and the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 as well as strategic plans across four pillars -- political affairs and security, economy, social affairs and culture, and connectivity -- the aim of which is to forge “a resilient, innovative, dynamic and people‑centered ASEAN Community.”

3. During the APT Senior Officials’ Meeting on the afternoon of June 10, Deputy Minister Chung welcomed the APT Finance Ministers’ decision in March 2025 to revise the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) regulations and introduce a Rapid Financing Facility (RFF). He also highlighted Korea’s contributions to APT practical cooperation initiatives, including the APT Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), the Korea-Japan-China Campus Asia program, and the APT Center for the Gifted in Science. Participants appreciated the reinstatement of the Korea–Japan–China tripartite framework -- most recently through the 9th Korea–Japan–China Summit in May last year and the 11th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in March this year -- and pledged to strengthen cooperation in areas including climate change, digital transformation, disaster management, and transnational crime.

4. During the EAS and ARF Senior Officials’ Meetings held on the afternoon of June 10 and the morning of June 11, respectively, Deputy Minister Chung exchanged with other participants views on key regional and global issues including those involving the Korean Peninsula, the South China Sea, Myanmar, Ukraine and the Middle East, among others. Noting the 20th anniversary of the EAS this year, he underscored the importance of the ASEAN-led mechanisms amid the global security landscape characterized by growing uncertainties and tensions, and affirmed Korea’s intention to continue constructive contribution to ASEAN based on its support for ASEAN centrality.

5. He pointed out that North Korea is undermining regional stability through illicit cooperation with Russia and cyberthreats, including crypto currency thefts. He called for a clear and consistent ASEAN message urging North Korea to cease nuclear and missile developments and provocations and to return to dialogue. He hoped that progress toward denuclearization would bring peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula, and affirmed Korea’s commitment to working with the international community toward that outcome.

6. While in Penang, Deputy Minister Chung held bilateral meetings with Senior Officials’ Meeting representatives from Malaysia (the 2025 ASEAN Chair) and other countries to discuss ways to enhance cooperation with ASEAN, preparations for the upcoming ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings (July) and Summits (October), and key bilateral issues.