[ASEAN-Korea summit] ASEAN-Republic of Korea Joint Vision Statement for Peace, Prosperity and Partnership

We, the Heads of State/Government of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), gathered on 26 November 2019 in Busan, the ROK, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-ROK Dialogue Relations;Expressing satisfaction with the positive development of ASEAN-ROK relations over the past 30 years since the establishment of Dialogue Relations in 1989; Acknowledging the ROK’s New Southern Policy which aims to further strengthen and

Nov. 26, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea, ASEAN must work together to face new challenges: Moon

President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday called for stronger cooperation among South Korea and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, saying the 21st century is the “era of Asia.”Addressing the leaders of ASEAN attending the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, Moon urged closer cooperation and solidarity among the 11 nations in facing global issues.  “We face new challenges such as protectionism and cross-border crime, (as well as the) fourth industrial revolu

Nov. 26, 2019

Ambassador hopes GSOMIA decision helps strengthen S. Korea-US ties

WASHINGTON -- South Korea's ambassador to the United States voiced hope Monday that Seoul's decision to tentatively extend a military information-sharing pact with Japan will bolster its ties with Washington.Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck was referring to Seoul's decision last week to postpone the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreement following Tokyo's willingness to hold working-level talks on each country's export control measures.Washington had pressed both of its al

Nov. 26, 2019

US senators remind Moon, Abe of importance of trilateral cooperation

WASHINGTON -- A group of 40 US senators sent a letter to South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe last week, underscoring the importance of trilateral cooperation in the face of rising challenges posed by North Korea and China.The letter, dated Thursday, was sent before a military intelligence-sharing pact between Seoul and Japan was set to expire at midnight Friday.South Korea later postponed the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreem

Nov. 26, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea, Philippines to speed up FTA talks

BUSAN -- South Korea and the Philippines on Monday signed an agreement opening their markets for selected products and resolved to conclude free trade negotiations within next year.  The agreement was signed after President Moon Jae-in and President Rodrigo Duterte’s summit on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan. Under the trade agreement, the Philippines will open its markets for selected automotive parts, pharmaceuticals and petrochemical products. In return

Nov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Korea, ASEAN leaders highlight cooperation

BUSAN – South Korea and Indonesia on Monday issued a joint declaration announcing the successful end of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement negotiations. The declaration was adopted after President Moon Jae-in’s bilateral summit with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit that kicked off in Busan. The Korea-Indonesia CEPA negotations were effectively wrapped up in October, and the two sides have since been working o

Nov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea Summit] Korea, Thailand seek closer ties in broader range of areas

President Moon Jae-in and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha held a summit Monday, seeking closer cooperation between the two countries. At the meeting, held on the sidelines of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, Moon stressed the importance of South Korean-Thai relations and thanked the Thai prime minister for his support in advancing Korea’s relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. “Thailand is the most important partner in our government’s New

Nov. 25, 2019

Cheong Wa Dae: Japan apologized for 'distorted' GSOMIA deal announcement

BUSAN -- The office of President Moon Jae-in stressed Monday that Japan has apologized to South Korea for a controversy over its announcement on an agreement related to the suspension of Seoul's decision to end a bilateral military intelligence-sharing accord.Cheong Wa Dae was defending itself from criticism that it has made unilateral concessions to Japan apparently in a bid to avoid an impact to the Seoul-Washington alliance.Making public its decision to conditionally and temporarily extend GS

Nov. 25, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] S. Korea-ASEAN summit to open in Busan, prologue to 'New Southern Policy 2.0'

BUSAN -- A special group summit between South Korea and the 10 Southeast Asian nations will get under way in Busan on Monday, which Seoul views as another milestone in bilateral partnerships amid its signature New Southern Policy.President Moon Jae-in has invited the leaders of the ASEAN member states to the two-day event in Busan, his hometown, meant to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their dialogue relationship.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has canceled his plan to attend it, saying his m

Nov. 25, 2019

FM says Busan summit to elevate S. Korea-ASEAN ties to another level

BUSAN -- The South Korea-ASEAN summit will serve as a venue for the participating countries to further elevate their relations to another level for the next few decades and beyond, South Korea's top diplomat said Sunday. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remark ahead of the official opening of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit slated for Monday. "The 30-year-old Korea-ASEAN relationship is at another point of a grand transition

Nov. 24, 2019

Top Seoul official warns Japan against provocations over trade, GSOMIA

BUSAN -- Japan should refrain from provoking South Korea over the trade and military information sharing agreement, a high-level government official said Sunday. Chung Eui-yong, Seoul's national security office chief, also said that Seoul lodged a firm complaint over Japanese government’s announcement on Friday, and said that Tokyo offered an apology and confirmed that the Seoul-Tokyo agreement remains the same. Chung went on to issue a warning to Tokyo saying that he would like to say &ld

Nov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] [Contribution] 30 years of ASEAN-Korea partnership: From prosperity to peace with people

The third ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit is being held from Monday to Wednesday this week in Busan. The summit of national leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South Korea celebrates the 30th anniversary of a partnership between the ASEAN bloc and Korea. Korea is the first dialogue partner of ASEAN to hold a special summit three times. It is a chance for leaders to review the past achievements of the ASEAN-Korea partnership and to envision the future of the bilateral re

Nov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Moon begins week of ASEAN diplomacy with Brunei, Singapore summits

President Moon Jae-in held summit meetings with the leaders of Brunei and Singapore over the weekend, kicking off a flurry of bilateral and multilateral summits held on the occasion of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit and the first Mekong-Korea summit. On Sunday, Moon met with Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who is visiting Korea on a state visit, in Seoul.  “The potential for cooperation between the two countries is limitless, from ICT, smart city, electronic government and

Nov. 24, 2019

[ASEAN-Korea summit] Connectivity to bring Korea’s relations with ASEAN to next level

South Korea expects to take a leap in its relations with Southeast Asian countries by revisiting the achievements of the past 30 years and developing a new vision for the future. During the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan, Korea and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states will adopt a joint vision statement on coexistence and prosperity. The statement will suggest directions for cooperation in different fields, such as the development of strategic partnerships between

Nov. 24, 2019

[News Focus] Seoul and Tokyo to work on arranging summit, but hurdles remain

Hopes are rising that Seoul and Tokyo could be heading toward resolving their ongoing spat, with the two sides agreeing to arrange a bilateral summit. The agreement was reached at the meeting between Seoul’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi on the sidelines of the G-20 foreign ministers meeting in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday. According to the two countries’ foreign ministries, they will work together to arrange a summit between

Nov. 24, 2019

Busan summit between President Moon, Cambodian PM Hun Sen canceled

BUSAN -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's summit with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has been canceled as the latter decided to skip a regional meeting scheduled for this week in the southern South Korean city of Busan, the presidential office said Sunday."Due to Cambodian PM Hun Sen's absence at the Korea-ASEAN special summit, the summit meeting between South Korea and Cambodia has been canceled," presidential spokesperson Ko Min-jung said in a text message sent to the media.The

Nov. 24, 2019

FM Kang says S. Korea, Japan agree to coordinate on Moon-Abe summit next month

SEOUL/NAGOYA -- South Korea and Japan agreed Saturday to coordinate efforts to enable a summit between President Moon Jae-in and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the margins of their planned trilateral summit with China next month, Seoul's top diplomat said.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha made the remarks after talks with her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, during the foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 countries in Nagoya, Japan, a day after Seoul suspended the expiry of a bilat

Nov. 24, 2019

S. Korea, Singapore agree to boost ties on smart cities, arms development

South Korea and Singapore reached a summit deal Saturday to strengthen partnerships in various fields, including smart cities and arms development, on the basis of their traditional cooperation.President Moon Jae-in greeted Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Cheong Wa Dae here, who made his first official visit here in six years.With the summit, Moon kicked off a hectic round of his summit diplomacy on Southeast Asian nations, the highlight of which is the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Comm

Nov. 23, 2019

Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan to hold talks in Nagoya after GSOMIA expiry delay

The top diplomats of South Korea and Japan were set to hold bilateral talks on the margins of the foreign ministerial meeting of the Group of 20 countries in Nagoya on Saturday, a day after Seoul suspended the expiry of a bilateral military information-sharing pact.Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha will meet her Japanese counterpart, Toshimitsu Motegi, a source said, apparently to discuss Seoul's decision on the postponement of the termination of the General Security of Military Information Agreem

Nov. 23, 2019

Groundwork laid for negotiation on Tokyo’s trade curbs, GSOMIA: Kang

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Friday the “groundwork” has been laid for South Korea to persuade Japan to withdraw its trade curbs against Seoul, after the two agreed on measures that delayed the final decision on the ongoing row over a military intelligence-sharing pact.Speaking to reporters just before departing to Nagoya, Japan to attend a foreign ministerial meeting of Group of 20 nations, Kang also said Seoul’s position has not changed much. “

Nov. 22, 2019