ASEAN–Korea Relations: Achieving a Resilient Partnership

H.E. Lee Jang-keun has been the Ambassador to the ROK Mission to ASEAN since May 2023. He has three decades of experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. He has served as the Ambassador of Korea to Bangladesh, the Director-General of International Organisations, and the Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations. Ambassador Lee has also served on overseas assignments, including in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Budapest, and Rabat.

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AF: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Ambassador Lee! ASEAN-ROK relations have reached significant milestones in diplomacy, trade, and people-to-people exchanges in recent decades. In your opinion, what factors have contributed to this remarkable progress?

Ambassador Lee: Thank you for having me. It is my pleasure to be able to talk about the thriving relations between ASEAN and the ROK with ISEAS, a leading research institute in the region. As you rightly observed, the cooperation between ASEAN and the ROK has been constantly on the rise in every respect. The most important driver of our achievement is the strong willingness, genuine interest and determination of the people and governments of the ROK and ASEAN for closer and stronger ties. What we all are witnessing today is the result of the collective effort of the whole society, including both the government and private sectors.

ASEAN has always been at the centre of the ROK’s foreign policy. The history of high-level engagement between ASEAN and the ROK shows us how important ASEAN is. The ASEAN-Korea Summit has been held every year since 1997, with the ROK hosting three Commemorative Summits with ASEAN in 2009, 2014, and 2019.

The ROK’s overseas development assistance (ODA) to ASEAN demonstrates its unwavering commitment to the region’s development and prosperity. More than 30 per cent of the ROK’s ODA is allocated to the ASEAN region. In addition, the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, launched in 1990, saw a doubling of its annual contribution from US$16 million to US$32 million by 2027.

The private sector has also played an important role in developing ASEAN-Korea relations. Korean companies have increased the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in ASEAN member states by 122 times during the last 35 years, while the trade volume between ASEAN and the ROK increased 23-fold in the same period. People-to-people exchange has been greatly enhanced by the popularity of Korean culture in ASEAN and the popularity of ASEAN’s tourist attractions among Korean travellers.

In light of this, at the Commemorative Summit of the 35th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations, ASEAN and the ROK established the ASEAN-ROK CSP last year. I am sure that this milestone will help us further widen and deepen cooperation between the two sides.

AF: What concrete steps are being taken to ensure the ASEAN-ROK CSP delivers tangible benefits? What areas will be prioritised in the coming year?

Ambassador Lee: The ASEAN-Korea CSP is not a finale but the mark of a new era of cooperation. We are now in the midst of developing a Plan of Action (POA) for the CSP, which will be in tandem with the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 to be revealed later this year. The POA will serve as a guide and checklist for future cooperation and continue the main spirit of the joint statement on the establishment of the CSP.

A plan we have already developed to concretise the CSP materialisation is the “ABC Vision”. “A” stands for advancing peace and security for all; “B” for building a smarter, greener, and connected future; and “C” for creating a socio-cultural platform for young and future generations. Each letter corresponds to ASEAN’s political-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars, respectively. The ROK has also shared the “ABC 100 projects”, which include a detailed list of ongoing and upcoming projects in all three pillars of the ASEAN community.

Among the key priorities within the ABC 100 projects are efforts to enhance peace and security. This involves strengthening the high-level engagement of defence authorities in ASEAN and the ROK (including through the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus mechanism), and collaborating on non-traditional security threats such as cyber and transnational crime.

In the drive towards a smarter, greener, and more connected future, the Korea-ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship (KADIF) Project has officially been launched to accelerate ASEAN’s digital transformation over the next five years. Meanwhile, to foster a dynamic and inclusive society for the younger generation, support for ASEAN youth will be expanded through the Inclusive Education Modules (IEM), a comprehensive human resource development ODA programme, which aims to provide training and capacity-building for 40,000 ASEAN talents over the next five years in various sectors.

AF: Given the leadership change in the US under President Donald Trump and the potential intensification of the US-China rivalry for influence in the Indo-Pacific, how do you see the ROK and ASEAN navigating these turbulent geopolitical shifts?

Ambassador Lee: Indeed, we are going through a turbulent time on the international landscape amid increasing concern about intensified strategic competition among major powers. In my view, the current uncertainties and potential intensification of great power rivalries underscore the value of ASEAN-led mechanisms and the necessity and importance of strengthening the ROK-ASEAN cooperation even more.

ASEAN has been playing a leading role in developing and shaping an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based regional architecture that upholds international law anchored in ASEAN-led mechanisms. With its unique convening power, ASEAN has been providing an invaluable platform for countries in the region to promote peace, stability, and prosperity through dialogue and cooperation. As a Comprehensive Strategic Partner of ASEAN, the ROK fully supports ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture and is deeply committed to further strengthening our close cooperation within ASEAN-led mechanisms.

Since the establishment of the ROK-ASEAN dialogue relations in 1989, the ROK and ASEAN have achieved remarkable success together, encompassing political and security cooperation, trade and investment, and social and cultural exchanges.

However, we have much more to achieve by expanding and deepening our cooperation in many emerging areas, including digital transformation, green transition, and youth development. As a trusted partner of ASEAN, the ROK is committed to working closely with it to navigate the ongoing global challenges and turn today’s uncertainties into opportunities. I have every confidence that together, we can better tap into our future potential in these emerging areas and address the ongoing global challenges for the betterment of our peoples.

Moreover, the ROK will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit meeting in the second half of this year, back-to-back with the ASEAN summit and related meetings with the theme of “Building A Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper”.

APEC, consisting of 21 Asia-Pacific economies, includes seven ASEAN member states. As such, it presents an important opportunity for us to renew our commitment to free and open trade and investment to create greater prosperity for the people of the region. As this year’s APEC host, the ROK will also collaborate closely with ASEAN to create synergy between these two important multilateral platforms to enhance regional stability and prosperity.

AF: The ASEAN community welcomed President Yoon Suk Yeol’s announcement of the ROK’s renewed commitment to engage with ASEAN through the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI). However, recent political developments in your country have raised concerns about the continuity of its foreign policy. Can you share your views on how domestic political changes might impact the ROK’s long-term commitment to ASEAN?

Ambassador Lee: I firmly believe that the ROK-ASEAN relations will continue to be broadened and deepened, as proven by its record of unwavering cooperation over the last 35 years. The attendance of the ROK president at every ROK-ASEAN summit since its inception in 1997 is a testament to the great importance South Korea attaches to ASEAN, as well as our unwavering commitment to further develop ROK-ASEAN cooperation.

I am very pleased and proud to share that we have strong bipartisan support to further broaden and deepen the ROK-ASEAN partnership, and our commitment to engage with ASEAN will undoubtedly continue in the years to come.

I want to take this opportunity to highlight that while some domestic political uncertainties remain, our Constitution and the rule of law prevail in the ROK. All governmental processes are being conducted in full accordance with our constitutional and legal frameworks.

The government of the ROK is committed to ensuring that our policies remain consistent and our engagement with the international community remains strong. We also appreciate that many ASEAN countries have placed their full confidence in the ROK’s robust democratic system and its resilience.

AF: Similarly, the historic Camp David trilateral summit between the leaders of the US, ROK, and Japan in 2023 was followed by another summit in 2024, which marked a significant detente in Japan-ROK relations. Should the region expect continuity or changes in light of the political leadership changes in all three countries?

Ambassador Lee: Considering the current geopolitical environment, I believe trilateral cooperation among the ROK, US, and Japan has become more important than ever.

The foreign ministers of the ROK and Japan, and the Secretary of State of the US met on 15 February in Munich, Germany, during the 2025 Munich Security Conference. They emphasised a shared commitment to the safety, security, and prosperity of the three countries and the broader Indo-Pacific region. They also underscored the necessity of enhancing the strength of the US-ROK and US-Japan alliances, as well as the robust security cooperation between the three countries to ensure peace and prosperity.

Strengthening trilateral cooperation has also improved bilateral relations between the ROK and Japan over the last few years. As this year marks the 60th anniversary of the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Japan, we aim to continue strengthening our cooperative momentum in bilateral relations and through the ROK-US-Japan trilateral cooperation in the months to come.

AF: In light of the disruptions caused by recent global events, such as prolonged wars in many parts of the world, the economic softening in China, and the US’ increasingly protectionist stance, how do you see ASEAN and the ROK strengthening their trade and supply chain resilience in the coming years?

Ambassador Lee: Precisely because of the reasons you laid out, ASEAN, the ROK’s second-largest trading partner, and the ROK, ASEAN’s fifth-largest trade counterpart, must strengthen their cooperation in trade and supply chain resilience. The South Korean private sector is already moving fast in accommodating the rapidly evolving geo-economic landscape in the region and beyond by expanding and exploring its business potential in ASEAN.

While the ROK’s trade and FDI with China have slowed down in recent years, the ASEAN share of its trade and investment is on the rise. According to ASEAN statistics, the ROK’s share of ASEAN’s total FDI increased to 5.1 per cent during the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) 2015-2025 from just 3.1 per cent before that period, making the ROK the sixth-largest source of FDI in ASEAN. Its trade with ASEAN crossed US$200 billion in 2022, with a 5.6 per cent share of ASEAN’s total trade.

Thanks to the depth and strength of our partnership as key economic partners, we have many tools and areas that we can leverage. The network of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) in the region, such as the Korea-ASEAN FTA, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and a number of bilateral FTAs, play a crucial role in expanding trade and investment. To strengthen these efforts further, the ROK and ASEAN agreed last year to upgrade our FTA, aiming to identify strategic areas such as the digital economy and supply chains.

On supply chain resilience, the ROK and ASEAN are advancing cooperation in energy, digital transformation, electric vehicles, and climate change. Supply chain resilience is crucial for the ROK as a leading manufacturing powerhouse and an export-dependent nation. With its abundant resources, ASEAN also recognises the importance of resilient supply chains.

In this context, the ROK has strengthened bilateral and multilateral consultations with ASEAN member states and implemented several projects to secure supply chain resilience. Noteworthy programmes include the KADIF, and the project on critical minerals management and strategy for sustainable environment in ASEAN. The ROK also contributed to the adoption of the ASEAN Plus Three leaders’ statement last year on strengthening the connectivity of regional supply chains.

Furthermore, the Korea-ASEAN Trade and Economic Think-Tank Dialogue, to be launched in March 2025, will provide an additional platform for seeking cooperation opportunities on economic agendas, including trade expansion and supply chain resilience.

AF: Soft power diplomacy plays a key role in the ROK’s foreign policy. How do you see the ROK leveraging cultural diplomacy, such as K-pop, educational exchanges, and people-to-people connections, to further enhance its relationship with ASEAN?

Ambassador Lee: I consider myself very fortunate to serve as the Ambassador to ASEAN, a region full of love and enthusiasm for Korean culture. K-pop, K-dramas, films, and cuisine provide ways to enhance personal connections with my ASEAN friends. This cultural affinity strengthens the bonds between the ROK and ASEAN, and provides opportunities for deeper and broader engagement.

The “C” in our ABC Vision stands for “creating a socio-cultural platform for young and future generations”. Culture is at the heart of our CSP with ASEAN. Naturally, the ROK government takes advantage of the popularity of Korean culture in the region, especially among the youth who represent the future of ASEAN-Korea relations.

The ROK is committed to strengthening cooperation in culture and people-to-people exchanges to further enhance our ties. In particular, we will continue expanding various programmes supported by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund to foster long-term partnership building. Notable initiatives include the ASEAN-Korea Music Festival, the ASEAN-Korea Film Leaders Incubator Programme, and the ASEAN-Korea Football Interpersonal Exchange and Leadership Development Programme, which promote cultural exchanges and creative collaboration.

Strengthening cultural cooperation lays the foundation for deeper political and economic collaboration in the future. In light of current uncertainties and the evolving geopolitical landscape, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and the ROK serve as a potent force for stability, sustainability, and inclusivity in the region. As the ROK and ASEAN continue to expand our engagement across multiple fields, cultural diplomacy remains a cornerstone in shaping a mutually beneficial and enduring partnership.

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Editor’s Note:
ASEANFocus+ articles are timely critical insight pieces published by the ASEAN Studies Centre.