Kuala lumpur: President Lee Jae Myung announced on Monday that South Korea will enhance its collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to address transnational crimes and safeguard young people from organized criminal networks in Southeast Asia. This declaration was made during South Korea’s summit with the regional bloc in Kuala Lumpur, particularly amid rising apprehensions about online scams targeting Koreans, following a tragic incident involving a Korean student in Cambodia.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee emphasized the need for increased cooperation between the Korean National Police Agency and ASEANAPOL (ASEAN Police Chiefs) to dismantle criminal networks and prevent transnational crimes from gaining a foothold in the region. Lee also articulated Seoul’s plan to reinforce the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) established with ASEAN last year and suggested hosting a special Korea-ASEAN summit in 2029 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
The CSP vision aims to establish South Korea as a significant contributor to regional growth, peace, and innovation. Under this initiative, South Korea seeks to increase reciprocal visits to 15 million people annually and elevate bilateral trade to US$300 billion, while actively combating transnational crimes, enhancing maritime security, and supporting disaster relief efforts.
To accomplish the proposed trade target, Lee expressed intentions to initiate negotiations for expanding the scope of the free trade agreement (FTA) with ASEAN. He outlined these ambitions in an article for The Star, a Malaysian daily, highlighting the goal of achieving an annual trade volume of $300 billion and upgrading the Korea-ASEAN FTA.
The existing FTA between South Korea and ASEAN began with an agreement on goods trade in 2006, followed by agreements on services in 2007 and investment in 2009. During the summit, Lee also reiterated South Korea’s dedication to promoting peace on the Korean Peninsula, seeking ASEAN’s support for his administration’s North Korea policy, as conveyed by presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
Lee expressed a commitment to restoring trust between the two Koreas, resuming dialogue, and fostering cooperation to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. ASEAN leaders voiced their support for Lee’s policy, with hopes of this backing being reflected in a joint statement, according to Kang.