South Koreans began voting Tuesday for a new president, six months to the day after ex-leader Yoon Suk Yeol plunged the country into political chaos with his disastrous declaration of martial law.

The announcement came during the visit to Manila of EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas for meetings with Manalo as well as a courtesy call with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

China has objected to Hegseth calling it a threat in the Indo-Pacific, the ministry added, describing his comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday as "deplorable".

ASEAN has set its sights on strengthening economic cooperation in an attempt to navigate regional security challenges, though analysts warn that such ambitions may fall short without meaningful institutional reform.

As great powers loom large over the Indo-Pacific, the United States and France competed for clout at the region's security forum in Singapore over the weekend.

China has objected to Hegseth calling it a threat in the Indo-Pacific, the ministry added, describing his comments at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday as "deplorable" and "intended to sow division".

Even as he warned in a speech on Saturday that China posed an "imminent" threat, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made clear he wanted Europeans to concentrate on European security as they boosted military budgets.

Brunei's ruler, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, has been discharged from a Malaysian hospital and will rest for several days in Malaysia, the Brunei Prime Minister's Office said late on Saturday.

Organizers from both camps have told police they expect tens of thousands of supporters to rally in Seoul's central Gwanghwamun square and the southern Seocho neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon.

The United States was "reorienting toward deterring aggression by communist China", Hegseth said, calling on US allies and partners in Asia to swiftly upgrade their defences in the face of mounting threats.

French President Emmanuel Macron is following leaders of China, Japan and other European countries in visiting the region in recent weeks, in a sign of Southeast Asia's strategic importance amid uncertainties on global supply chains and trade.

Coordinating Law, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Services Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra also rejected the use of the term "normalization of ties" considering that Indonesia and Israel never had any diplomatic relations.

Macron's trip to Indonesia is the second stop of a three-nation, six-day tour of Southeast Asia that began with Vietnam and concludes in Singapore.

"I am delighted that the letter of intent signed today could open up a new perspective with new orders for Rafales, Scorpenes, light frigates," Macron said at a joint press conference alongside President Prabowo Subianto. 

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will try to convince Asian defense leaders this weekend that the United States is a more trusted partner for the region than China, US officials told Reuters, as questions linger about the Trump administration's commitment to the region.

The annual Asia-Pacific Regional Security Assessment released on Wednesday by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said outside industrial help remains vital even as regional nations ultimately aim for self-reliance.

Indonesia is the second leg of Macron's regional trip after Vietnam, where the two countries signed deals worth over $10 billion. He is scheduled to fly to Singapore on Thursday.

President Prabowo Subianto’s pitch to include Papua New Guinea as an ASEAN member during his debut appearance at the regional talks was likely inspired by Jakarta’s national interests and was less about elevating the group’s strength, analysts have suggested.

The trade-dependent economies are looking to insulate themselves after US President Donald Trump blew up global trade norms by announcing a slew of tariffs targeting countries around the world this year.

The Elysee had been hoping that the visit to Vietnam would showcase France's reach into the Indo-Pacific, but it has been shadowed by the incident which occurred as the doors of the presidential plane swung open after landing in Hanoi Sunday.

Having PNG, which is Indonesia’s “close neighbor", in the bloc could help make ASEAN stronger, thus raising the bloc’s position in the global constellation, President Prabowo Subianto has said.

China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners, and Chinese exports to Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam surged by double digits in April -- attributed to a re-routing of US-bound goods.

ASEAN must rise stronger or risk being disrespected by larger powers, President Prabowo Subianto said during his debut appearance at the group’s summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, calling on the bloc to be more forward-looking and adaptive as it faces internal and external pressures.

The South China Sea, a conduit for about $3 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, remains a source of tension between China and US ally the Philippines, with ties at their worst in years amid frequent standoffs that have sparked regional concerns they could spiral into conflict.

Footage shot by the Associated Press news agency in Hanoi on Sunday evening shows Macron's plane door opening to reveal him.

Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship has piqued interest and built up expectations of tangible outcomes, especially in longstanding issues such as overlapping claims in the South China Sea among ASEAN member states and Beijing, as well as the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar.

The French president arrived in Hanoi late Sunday, the first stop of a six-day trip that will also take in Indonesia and Singapore.

Prabowo is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the first ASEAN summit of his presidency, during which he is also expected to attend the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will also tackle pressing regional issues, attempting to increase pressure on Myanmar's military junta and iron out remaining issues with Timor Leste's application to join the bloc.

Timor-Leste is a step closer to fulfilling its longstanding wish to join the Southeast Asian regional bloc and could become its 11th member state by October, Malaysia's foreign minister said on Sunday.