Korea and ASEAN are gearing up to bring their partnership to new heights, with a proposal to level up the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI), from a “strategic partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” next year.
This was said by Secretary General of ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) Kim Hae-yong in a message to celebrate ASEAN Day, marked every August 8.
“The celebration shows how ASEAN member countries work together to become united. It’s also a time to think about how important the partnership between ASEAN and Korea is. Even though there are many challenges in the region, the ASEAN-Korea partnership has been successful in many ways for the past 30 years,” the secretary-general said.
The KASI was signed in November 2022 demonstrating the Korean government’s strong will to further enhance its partnership with the Southeast Asian region. The proposal will also coincide with the celebration of the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-Korea Dialogue Relations.
However, the secretary-general noted that to take the ASEAN-Korea partnership to the next level, “both ASEAN and Korea should move beyond mere political discourses and elevate relations into a more ‘sustainable’ and ‘equal’ one”, as emphasised by the AKC.
In a message, Kim said, “First, ASEAN and Korea can bolster a sustainable and mutually beneficial economic cooperation by embracing emerging business environments and practices. Going through the COVID-19 pandemic, much emphasis has been put on sustainable and responsible investment at the global level.
“And ASEAN was not an exception. Although each ASEAN member states (AMS) has been incorporating its own initiatives to incentivise sustainable and resilient development into the policy frameworks, minimal analysis or literature review has been done for all 10 ASEAN member countries.
“Against this backdrop, the AKC launched the ASEAN-Korea ESG Cooperation Programme to summarise ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) policies and best practices in both ASEAN and Korea, the results of which would be published by the end of this year.
“The deliverable is expected to help Korean companies interested in entering the ASEAN market, as well as ASEAN companies trying to expand into other ASEAN member countries, thereby contributing to the consolidation of business cooperation between the two sides.
“In addition, recognising the growing interests of ASEAN and Korea and demand for new business opportunities in cleaner and more sustainable transportation, the AKC also organised the 6th ASEAN-Korea Electric Vehicle (EV) Forum to introduce the EV policies of ASEAN and Korea, as well as business opportunities around the industry. This allowed interested investors and companies to take advantage of relevant policies and opportunities presented during the forum.
“Secondly, in the long run, ASEAN and Korea should lay out a firm foundation for equal partnership. According to the survey on ‘Mutual Perceptions of ASEAN and Korean Youths’ conducted by the AKC in 2021 and 2022, youth of ASEAN and Korea view each other positively and have high expectations for future cooperation between the two regions.
However, the survey also identified several challenges, such as an asymmetry in accessing information, a lack of understanding regarding ongoing ASEAN-Korea cooperation, and a preference for short-term exchange opportunities, rather than long-term stay.”
Acknowledging the youth as a building block of the ASEAN-Korea partnership, the AKC has made significant efforts to foster better mutual understanding of the youth. As part of this effort, the ASEAN-Korea Youth Network Workshop was resumed in July after three years of the pandemic.
Under the theme ‘Youth Shaping the Future: Building Enhanced Perceptions among Youth and Innovating Changes in Tourism’, the nine-day workshop brought 48 youth from 10 AMS and Korea together in Korea and Vietnam.
“Through lectures, site visits, team missions and cultural exchanges, the workshop enabled participants to not only understand the history and cultures of ASEAN and Korea but also forge a network and friendship based on mutual understanding,” the secretary-general continued.
“Lastly, culture should be seen as a powerful vehicle that connects the peoples of ASEAN and Korea, deepening understanding of each other.”
Last month, the AKC participated in the 4th World Cultural Industry Forum (WCIF) in Daegu, Korea under the theme ‘Creative Economy and Sustainability in the Global Music and Entertainment Industry’, and organised an ASEAN-Korea Special Session.
Prominent influencers and industry professionals from AMS were invited to share their experiences and discuss ways to create synergies between the Korean-Wave (K-Wave or Hallyu) and the ASEAN-Wave.
“Thanks to robust cross-regional engagements, the global popularity of K-Wave has gone beyond a superficial level of interest and curiosity in Korean cultural contents. Instead, it has blossomed into a dynamic global phenomenon, offering boundless opportunities for creative businesses and cultural exchanges.
“In parallel, ASEAN’s rich and diverse culture is also gradually catching on in Korea, with its influence being observed everywhere, from food and beverages to multicultural families, students and workers from diverse backgrounds, including members of K-pop idol groups.
“The surge of interest and engagement with ASEAN culture has contributed to fostering more open and multifaceted perspectives among Korean people.
“While ASEAN and Korea achieved one of the most successful partnerships for the past 34 years, it is time to prepare for next decades for genuine and long-lasting partnership by centring on more sustainable and equal relations.” – Contributed by ASEAN-Korea Centre
