Hanoi (VNA) – Officials and scholars from theRepublic of Korea (RoK) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)on October 25 called for greater cooperation between the two sides in spurringongoing efforts for a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The call was made at a Seoul forum on the future of RoK-ASEANrelations, where a range of issues were discussed, such as the 10-member bloc'srole in facilitating the dialogue process with the Democratic People’s Republicof Korea (DPRK) and the RoK's current policy that attaches importance to the ASEAN.
The RoK Foreign Ministry's Ambassador for Public Diplomacy ChangJae-bok said both the RoK and ASEAN have diplomatic ties with the DPRK, as seenthrough the two summits held in Singapore and Vietnam.
Chang referred to ASEAN's crucial logistical support for hostingthe summits between US President Donald Trump and DPRK leader Kim Jong-un inSingapore in June last year and in Hanoi in February this year.
The RoK government has long been pursuing closer cooperation withASEAN countries in its efforts to persuade Pyongyang to engage in dialogue andkeep the regime on the denuclearisation track.
In particular, Seoul has used the annual ASEAN Regional Forum, amultilateral diplomatic event that top DPRK diplomats attend, to find dialogueopportunities with Pyongyang.
Chief of the Korean National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) KimJoon-hyung also stressed the importance of greater collaboration with ASEAN onDPRK issues.
Participants at the event discussed ways to further advance RoKPresident Moon Jae-in's New Southern Policy aimed at deepening ties with ASEAN,an increasingly crucial partner for the RoK because of its growth potential,rich resources and geopolitical strengths.
ASEAN is now the RoK's second largest trade partner./.
VNA
