Over the past three years, the New Southern Policy has laid a meaningful foundation for the progress of ties of friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and Korea.

In 2019, the number of visitors between ASEAN and Korea reached about 13 million, cementing ASEAN’s position as the most popular destination for Koreans. The bilateral trade volume exceeded US$150 billion last year. ASEAN is Korea’s second-largest trading partner, while Korea is ASEAN’s fifth.

In the area of peace, ASEAN has been a steadfast supporter of the Korean Peninsula peace process. Singapore and Vietnam hosted the United States-Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Summit in June 2018 and February 2019 respectively. Likewise, Korea has welcomed and expressed its support for ASEAN-led initiatives, such as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) adopted in June last year.

Despite various hurdles and challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis, ASEAN and Korea have made considerable progress in strengthening their partnership. Among other efforts, our joint fight against the pandemic has been noteworthy. Utilizing the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, which was doubled under the New Southern Policy, we have launched the project for “Enhancing the Detection Capacity for COVID-19 in ASEAN Countries” worth US$5 million.

Furthermore, Korea was the first dialogue partner of ASEAN that made a substantial contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. In addition, this year alone, we have successfully launched various cooperation projects, ranging from human resource development to disaster management, totalling approximately $34 million.

Against this background, I have every confidence that the NSP+, warmly welcomed by all ASEAN leaders, will further upgrade and enlarge our cooperation in seven key areas.

The first area is comprehensive health care. Responding to the pandemic, especially through the development and equitable supply of vaccines and treatments, should remain a top priority, but our cooperation should go beyond that. Korea intends to establish an effective long-term cooperation mechanism to fundamentally improve the healthcare systems of ASEAN member states. For this, Korea will increase the overseas development assistance for public health and engage in capacity-building programs for ASEAN’s medical experts.

Second is human resource development. Nurturing young talents and developing human capital will constitute the basis of economic and social progress. Fully recognising the importance of education, Korea will also share its experiences and know-how in the area of e-learning and cyber education. We will also continue to expand scholarship programs and technical and vocational education and training for ASEAN’s younger generation.

Third is two-way cultural exchanges. In particular, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, digital technology will help to revitalise more systematic and diverse cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Furthermore, establishing new cultural networks, such as the ASEAN-Korea Film Organization and ASEAN-Korea Cultural Heritage Cooperation Organization, will provide us with a platform for more significant two-way exchanges.

Fourth is mutually beneficial and sustainable trade and investment. Amid rising protectionism and the disruption of global value chains, ASEAN and Korea need to redouble joint efforts to adapt to this changing economic environment. While improving and expanding the free trade agreement networks between ASEAN and Korea, Korea will engage in various programs for the capacity-building of ASEAN’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and increase investment, which will, in turn, contribute to the growth of local industries in ASEAN.

Fifth is infrastructure development. The development of rural villages and urban infrastructure is a critical factor in determining the living standards of the people. Based on our experience, Korea will vigorously cooperate for the implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 as well as the ASEAN smart cities network.

Sixth is the fourth industrial revolution. In view of the need for the transition to a digital economy, Korea will make joint efforts with ASEAN to develop new engines of growth. Cooperation in information and communication technology and 5G will be reinforced through the platforms to be established in the near future, such as the ASEAN-Korea Industrial Innovation Center and ASEAN-Korea Standardization Joint Research Centre, which will contribute to nurturing the growth of MSMEs and start-ups, among others.

Seventh is cooperation in nontraditional security. Korea will work together with ASEAN to tackle nontraditional security issues, such as climate change, disaster management, conservation of marine environment, cyber security, demining and so forth.

All in all, the NSP+ clearly indicates the future direction of the ASEAN-Korea strategic partnership. At the same time, in formulating the NSP+, we have taken into due consideration the needs and priorities of ASEAN. For instance, taking into account the fact that maritime cooperation is one of the four key areas of cooperation designated in the AOIP, Korea plans to cooperate closely with maritime ASEAN member states. To this end, Korea is in the process of establishing a dedicated cooperation fund.

In a similar vein, Korea’s NSP+ will be implemented in sync with ASEAN’s post-pandemic initiatives, such as the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework, adopted at the recent ASEAN summit, whose five broad strategies are: enhancing health systems, strengthening human security, maximising the potential of intra-ASEAN market and broader economic integration, accelerating inclusive digital transformation as well as advancing towards a more sustainable and resilient future. These five strategies are more or less in line with the seven key areas of cooperation specified in the NSP+.

In conclusion, in the context of the region’s various multilateral frameworks, including ASEAN Plus Three, East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum as well as RCEP, I believe Korea’s NSP+ will be recorded as a significant milestone in the annals of East Asia’s regionalism, not just as a proof of Korea’s enduring commitment to the ASEAN-Korea partnership, but also as an indicator of the brighter future for regional cooperation.

The pandemic has spoken volumes about the need for strengthening solidarity and cooperation regionally as well as globally. The NSP+ will further enhance regional cooperation, which will be a key aspect for peace and prosperity of the people in Korea, ASEAN and beyond.

 ***

The writer is ambassador of the Republic of Korea to ASEAN and former vice foreign minister.

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