1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se attended the 19th foreign ministerial meeting between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea in Vientiane, Laos, on July 25 in his capacity as its co-chair. In the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on the progress in bilateral cooperation and its way forward; and the regional and global issues, including North Korea’s nuclear program.

2. The ASEAN-ROK foreign ministerial meeting, the first of its kind since the launch of the ASEAN Community in late 2015, focused on cooperation projects under the “ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action 2016-2020” adopted at the 18th ASEAN-ROK Foreign Ministers’ meeting in 2015.

° With regard to economic cooperation, the two sides, in a bid to post a trade volume of 200 billion US dollars by 2020, agreed to accelerate efforts to further liberalize the ASEAN-ROK FTA and negotiations on a regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) and to increase the use of the bilateral FTA.

° The two sides also agreed to help their small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) boost exchanges and share information by holding an ROK-ASEAN business consultation and an ASEAN connectivity forum in the second half of the year 2016.

° With respect to cooperation on social affairs and culture, the two sides agreed to further expand two-way people-to-people and cultural exchanges in 2017, the year of ROK-ASEAN cultural exchanges.

° Minister Yun spoke about ways to step up bilateral communication for a thorough implementation of the ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action 2016-2020 in a future-oriented manner as well as cooperation for the possible application in the ASEAN region of the ROK’s four major initiatives for development cooperation, including the “Better Life for Girls” initiative.

3. Minister Yun brought attention to North Korea’s fourth nuclear test and missile launches as well as the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. He stressed that in order to deter North Korea and lead it to denuclearization, the international community should be united in sending to North Korea a strong message of non-tolerance for a nuclear North Korea.

° The majority of the delegates from the ASEAN countries expressed concern over North Korea’s provocations, calling them a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions; urged the North to faithfully abide by UN Security Council Resolution 2270; and expressed hope an early resumption of the Six-Party Talks, with the North rejoining the dialogue.

° Minister Yun hailed the consensus reached at the third ASEAN-ROK security dialogue held in June that ASEAN supports international efforts for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

4. The ASEAN-ROK meeting, which came in the first year since the launch of the ASEAN Community, served as an opportunity to further enhance the ROK-ASEAN strategic partnership and for the international community to send a stern, united message to North Korea over its provocations seriously threatening peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in entire East Asia.


* unofficial translation