Korean Language Learning in Malaysia: Beyond the Korean Wave
Koh Sin Yee|Kim Tae-sik
By institutionalising an already popular global Korean wave, Malaysian and Korean state efforts are helping to intensify Malaysian interest in the Korean language.

Koh Sin Yee|Kim Tae-sik
By institutionalising an already popular global Korean wave, Malaysian and Korean state efforts are helping to intensify Malaysian interest in the Korean language.
Ian Storey
Vietnam has grand plans to build a series of nuclear power plants. But it faces several challenges.
Lee Jaehyon|Ko Youngkyung
Lee Jaehyon and Ko Youngkyung elaborate how Korea’s new ASEAN policy under President Lee Jae-myung emphasises pragmatic, and mutually beneficial cooperation across security, economic, and people-to-people domains.
Ian Storey
Given its ageing fleet of fighter jets, Malaysia needs to get a plane soon. But its choices are limited.
Ju Hyung Kim
There is a possibility of a dual contingency in the Taiwan Strait and the Korean Peninsula. ASEAN and the Republic of Korea need to consider modes of cooperation in such difficult times.
Cha Hae Won
South Korea’s ties with Southeast Asia are overly focused on Vietnam. To assert its middle power status, the country needs to diversify its relations and rectify this imbalance.
Lee Jang-keun
ASEANFocus+ is privileged to interview His Excellency Lee Jang-keun, the Republic of Korea’s (ROK) Ambassador to ASEAN, as ASEAN-ROK relations enter a new phase. Last year, the partnership was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) as both sides celebrated the 35th anniversary of their dialogue relations. This is a testament to the depth and significance of ASEAN-Korea relations amid shifting geostrategic dynamics. As we look ahead, how can ASEAN and the ROK work together to navigate uncertainties, strengthen regional cooperation, and unlock new opportunities? Ambassador Lee shares his insights on these critical questions and the ROK’s vision for deepening its partnership with ASEAN.
Joanne Lin|William Choong
The political tides are going against the recently impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This could adversely affect the trilateral security arrangement involving Japan, South Korea and the US.
Gwendolyn Yap
A disc jockey performing chants clothed in Buddhist garb has stoked controversy in Singapore and Malaysia, highlighting the social and religious sensitivities in the two countries.
Eugene R.L. Tan
President Yoon’s Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative has built on some of the groundwork laid by his predecessor’s New Southern Policy, most notably in its economic engagements with Southeast Asian countries. However, Seoul must undertake further efforts to boost its diplomatic and security profile in the region.