South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has deepened ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during his visit to Laos for the ASEAN and ASEAN+3 summits. Yoon and ASEAN leaders announced on Thursday the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is set to elevate cooperation in key areas such as trade, technology and security. The new agreement focuses on strengthening supply chain resilience and expanding collaboration in smart cities, artificial intelligence and green energy.

In the joint statement, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring maritime security in the South China Sea, using the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as a foundation for upholding freedom of navigation. Yoon also reiterated South Korea’s commitment to the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, while calling for closer economic cooperation to address shared challenges such as climate change and regional security threats.