Growing calls to cooperate with Korea post-Covid

Growing calls to cooperate with Korea post-Covid

November is the month of Asean Summit and Related Summits. The energy of last November still reverberates here. President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Moon Jae-in revisited Thailand to attend the Asean Related Summits last November accompanied by a huge delegation just three months after his official visit to Thailand in September. It was quite a novel scene to see a photo of the leaders from each country divided by a screen rather than the signature group photo on the front page of the newspapers this year. And yet such a scene serves as a clear illustration of the determination that cooperation in the international community is imperative -- that is must go on, come what may.

Three years have passed already since the Korean government announced the New Southern Policy in 2017. A policy which aims to dramatically enhance Korea's relations with Asean and India to the same level as Korea has with the four major powers (the United States, China, Japan and Russia). It envisions a "People-centred Community of Peace and Prosperity". And indeed, the Korean government has sincerely pursued this policy in various fields, including the political, economic, social and cultural spheres -- achieving tangible outcomes, not least, making presidential visits to all 10 Asean member states and India within two years and four months since his inauguration.

The trade volume between Korea and Asean-India has increased by 28% from US$135 billion (4.1 trillion baht) in 2016 to $172 billion in 2019. Remarkable advances have been made in the field of people-to-people exchanges, with the number of people travelling between Korea and Asean-India having increased by more than 50% from 8.96 million to 13.5 million. Support for denuclearisation and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula has also been expressed by New Southern Policy target countries. And indeed exchanges in the cultural realm, including Korean language education, are increasing.

On the occasion of the recent Asean-ROK Summit on Nov 13, President Moon Jae-in unveiled the "New Southern Policy Plus" strategy. This reflects the changes in the global landscape as a result of Covid-19. It reflects also outcomes over the last three years, including the results of the Asean-ROK Commemorative Summit held in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Dialogue Relations between Asean and the ROK, and the first Mekong-ROK Summit, both held in Busan in 2019. And Asean countries fully welcomed and expressed support for the policy.

The Korean government will seek to deepen cooperation with Asean under seven main initiatives of the New Southern Policy Plus: comprehensive health and medical cooperation; sharing of the education model of Korea and supporting human resources development; promotion of cultural exchanges by utilising the country's cultural export, "Korean Wave"; laying the basis for the development of mutually beneficial and sustainable trade and investment; cooperation in the development of farming, fishing villages and urban infrastructure; cooperation in future industries; and cooperation in non-traditional security.

For example, as our two countries both have advanced medical capabilities and are successfully dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, Korea and Thailand agreed to establish health dialogues both under Asean and within bilateral frameworks. The two countries, sharing experiences and lessons in the field of health and medical cooperation and health security, will be able to explore even more effective ways to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation for disease prevention, response and promoting joint preparedness for epidemics.

Moreover, on the occasion of the 2nd Mekong-ROK Summit on Nov 13, the ROK proposed that the Mekong-ROK relationship be elevated to a strategic level, thereby establishing a Strategic Partnership for People, Prosperity, and Peace between the Mekong Countries and the ROK. This proposal was warmly welcomed and agreed upon by all Mekong counties. The Strategic Partnership will further strengthen the firm foundation for the Mekong-ROK Cooperation as it seeks to usher in co-prosperity and stability in the region. And the ROK is determined to continue to expand the cooperation to encompass a fuller range of areas as it evolves into a Strategic Partnership.

Last year, President Moon stated that Thailand is the most important partner in pursuing Korea's New Southern Policy. And it is clear that Thailand shall continue to be an invaluable partner in the pursuit of New Southern Policy Plus. It is our sincere hope that Asean and Korea will enjoy great prosperity together, generating a kind of synergy, by combining the five key areas of Asean Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) proposed by Asean with the New Southern Policy Plus Strategy.


Lee Wook-heon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Thailand.

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