{"id":2206754,"date":"2024-10-11T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T23:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2206754"},"modified":"2024-10-10T16:14:53","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T07:14:53","slug":"south-korea-and-asean-deepen-ties-through-comprehensive-strategic-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/10\/south-korea-and-asean-deepen-ties-through-comprehensive-strategic-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea and ASEAN deepen ties through comprehensive strategic partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"
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 <\/span>Comprehensive Strategic Partnership<\/span><\/a>, 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.<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n The ROK-ASEAN joint statement\u2019s emphasis on strengthening supply chains and promoting innovation in sectors such as AI and smart cities reflects South Korea\u2019s focus on future-proofing its economic relations with ASEAN. This marks a significant step for South Korea in solidifying its role within the broader Indo-Pacific region.<\/span><\/p>\n However, Yoon\u2019s commitment to UNCLOS and maritime security will likely lead to mixed results. While countries like the Philippines and Vietnam, which face ongoing territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, will likely welcome this stance, others such as Cambodia and Laos may hesitate to endorse Seoul\u2019s position as it may alienate Beijing.<\/span><\/p>\n While the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership strengthens South Korea\u2019s ties with ASEAN, the challenge lies in sustaining these efforts beyond Yoon\u2019s presidency. Ensuring that the initiatives outlined in this new partnership, particularly in trade and technology, continue to flourish will be key to embedding South Korea\u2019s influence in Southeast Asia for the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n