The Association of Southeast Asian Nations will become more important for South Korea diplomatically and economically, with new President Moon Jae-in’s emphasis on diplomatic diversification, Moon’s special envoy to the ASEAN said Sunday.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, named Friday by Moon as special envoy to the regional organization, departed Sunday for a tour of three nations. 

“My dispatch is in line with the president’s conviction and vision that aside from the four powers (US, China, Japan and Russia), South Korea needs to diversify its diplomatic effort going forward,” the liberal the liberal mayor said at the Incheon International Airport.

“I expect the political and economic ties with ASEAN will further grow.”

The ASEAN, comprised of 10 countries including Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Thailand, is South Korea’s second-largest trading partner.

Park’s office at the Seoul Metropolitan Government said he will visit the Philippines, the current chair of the ASEAN, then Indonesia and Vietnam before returning home on Friday.

Rep. Kim Hyun-mee and Rep. Shin Kyoung-min of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea are to accompany him on the tour.

Park, carrying letters from President Moon, are to hold talks with President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte, President of Indonesia Joko Widodo and President of Vietnam Tran Dai Quang.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)