{"id":2207888,"date":"2025-01-09T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T23:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207888"},"modified":"2025-01-08T16:29:44","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T07:29:44","slug":"seoul-expands-asean-partnerships-ahead-of-trumps-white-house-return","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/seoul-expands-asean-partnerships-ahead-of-trumps-white-house-return\/","title":{"rendered":"Seoul expands ASEAN partnerships ahead of Trump\u2019s White House return"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Korea\u2019s foreign ministry pledged <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mofa.go.kr\/www\/brd\/m_4080\/view.do?seq=375794\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stronger cooperation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support regional integration and development. Speaking at the 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum on Wednesday, Kim Hee-sang, Coordinator for Economic Diplomacy, outlined key initiatives, including the $30 million \u201cASEAN-Korea Digital Flagship\u201d program. The project aims to expand digital infrastructure and train local talent over the next five years. Cybersecurity efforts, such as the \u201cASEAN-Korea Cyber Shield\u201d project, will also bolster the region\u2019s defenses against online threats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kim also emphasized tailored support for ASEAN\u2019s climate goals through the \u201cPartnership for ASEAN-ROK Methane Action\u201d and additional funding mechanisms like the \u201cASEAN-Korea Mekong Cooperation Fund.\u201d South Korea plans to train 40,000 ASEAN professionals over the next five years through new education and scholarship programs. Despite political turbulence at home, Kim reaffirmed the government\u2019s commitment to maintaining consistent foreign policy priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>WHY IT MATTERS<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">South Korea\u2019s pledge highlights its determination to deepen ties with ASEAN amid mounting global economic pressures and domestic political uncertainty. By advancing projects in digital infrastructure, climate action and workforce development, South Korea is positioning itself as a crucial partner in ASEAN\u2019s growth. These initiatives also align with Seoul\u2019s broader strategy to diversify trade and reduce dependence on traditional markets like the U.S. and China.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donald Trump\u2019s return to the White House in less than two weeks is expected to revive U.S. trade protectionism, including tariffs targeting countries with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bok.or.kr\/portal\/bbs\/B0000501\/view.do?nttId=10089134&amp;searchCnd=1&amp;searchKwd=&amp;depth2=200038&amp;depth3=201263&amp;depth=201263&amp;pageUnit=10&amp;pageIndex=1&amp;programType=newsData&amp;menuNo=201264&amp;oldMenuNo=201263\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">trade surpluses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Strengthening its ASEAN partnerships offers South Korea a buffer against potential economic disruptions, while opening alternative trade routes and fortifying its position in a competitive Indo-Pacific economy.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"content-tags\"><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/tag\/business-economy\/\"><span class=\"tag\">Business &amp; Economy<\/span><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/tag\/inter-korean-foreign-relations\/\"><span class=\"tag\">Inter-Korean &amp; Foreign Relations<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>South Korea\u2019s foreign ministry pledged stronger cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support regional integration and development. Speaking at the 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum on Wednesday, Kim Hee-sang, Coordinator for Economic Diplomacy, outlined key initiatives, including the $30 million \u201cASEAN-Korea Digital Flagship\u201d program. The project aims to expand digital infrastructure and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2207889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[24,28],"class_list":["post-2207888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefings","tag-business-economy","tag-inter-korean-foreign-relations"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Seoul expands ASEAN partnerships ahead of Trump\u2019s White House return - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2025\/01\/seoul-expands-asean-partnerships-ahead-of-trumps-white-house-return\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Seoul expands ASEAN partnerships ahead of Trump\u2019s White House return - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"South Korea\u2019s foreign ministry pledged stronger cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to support regional integration and development. Speaking at the 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum on Wednesday, Kim Hee-sang, Coordinator for Economic Diplomacy, outlined key initiatives, including the $30 million \u201cASEAN-Korea Digital Flagship\u201d program. 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