President Park Geun-hye has proposed to the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that they set up a 2016-2020 action plan that would deepen Korea-ASEAN cooperation in three broad sectors: the economy, politics and culture.
President Park made the proposal during the first session of the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit, held at the BEXCO convention center in Busan. On Dec. 12, she said: “We need to upgrade our strategic partnership through more substantial cooperation backed by the quantitatively expanded cooperation built over the past 25 years.”
“Respecting the central role of ASEAN, the Korean government will make concerted efforts with it as a partner for co-prosperity in the economy, a locomotive in both politics and the security sector, and as a partner for cultural enrichment in terms of society and culture,” said the president. “We would also like to set up a 2016-2020 action plan in a more comprehensive manner on occasion of this special summit meeting,” she added.
The president expressed her will to build a win-win economic cooperative relationship with the ASEAN community that will be established at the end of next year.
“Korea will build a balanced, mutually beneficial relationship with ASEAN aimed at co-prosperity,” she said.
Park also welcomed the agreement between Korea and ASEAN on trade facilitation, which will help usage of the Korea-ASEAN free trade agreement (FTA).
On Dec. 12, South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed to continue efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, urging North Korea to completely implement international obligations.
The agreement came after South Korean President Park Geun-hye and leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries held a special summit in Busan, a port city in southeast South Korea, for two days through Dec. 12.
A joint statement was announced, saying that the organization would be important to maintaining sustainable peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. To attain the goal, South Korea and ASEAN will continue efforts for the peninsula's denuclearization.
The statement urged Pyongyang to make a complete implementation of all UN Security Council resolutions and fulfill international obligations and promises made under the Sept. 19 Joint Statement, which was adopted in 2005 to dismantle the North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.
It stressed the need for resuming the long-stalled six-party talks that will become the base of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization on the peninsula.
The six-party talks, which involve, China, North Korea, the United States, South Korea, Russia and Japan, were initiated in Beijing in August 2003 but have been stalled since December 2008.
The two sides will maximize the usage of the FTA, aiming to lift the trade value between the two sides to $200 billion in 2020 from $135 billion in 2013.
The ASEAN-South Korea FTA negotiations reached a conclusion in 2006, which more than doubled the bilateral trade from $61 billion in 2006 to $135 billion in 2013.
The two sides will deepen cooperation in energy and infrastructure projects, while seeking new cooperation areas going forward.
ASEAN is the No. 2 trade partner of South Korea, following only China, and the third-largest investment destination of South Korean companies.
President Park Geun-hye held a series of summits with Myanmar President U Thein Sein, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chanocha on Dec. 11, all of whom are in Korea to attend the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit in Busan on Dec. 11 and 12.
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