On October 27, within the framework of the second working day of the ASEAN Summit 47 and related conferences in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, ASEAN leaders and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung attended the 26th ASEAN - South Korean Summit.
South Korea is currently ASEAN's fifth largest trading partner and seventh largest FDI investor, with two-way trade turnover in 2024 reaching 208.2 billion USD and FDI from South Korea to ASEAN reaching 7.6 billion USD.
The countries assessed South Korea's active and comprehensive participation in ASEAN's specialized cooperation mechanisms. Specific cooperation initiatives such as the ASEAN - Korea Digital Academy and ASEAN - Korea Digital Innovation (KADIF) have helped improve digital capacity, nurture and nurture digital talents in ASEAN.
The two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in strategic areas such as digital transformation, innovation, clean energy, strategic minerals, sustainable environment, marine security, transnational crime prevention, cybersecurity, etc.
President Lee Jae Myung affirmed that South Korea attaches importance to and supports ASEAN's central role, proposing ASEAN-South Korea cooperation on three pillars: " Contributing to the Dream and Hope; Stepping stone for Growth and Innovation; Partnership for Peace and "stability".
At the same time, South Korea will continue to support ASEAN in implementing the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and the ASEAN Power Grid, narrowing development gaps and enhancing regional connectivity.
At the Conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh outlined three major orientations to promote the ASEAN-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the coming time.
First, prioritize promoting economic, trade and investment linkages in the direction of green, digital, circular and sustainable; launch negotiations to upgrade AKFTA, expand cooperation to new areas such as green economy, digital economy, artificial intelligence, supply chain.
The Prime Minister also suggested that Korea increase technology transfer, help train high-quality human resources, connect technology enterprises, develop AI in renewable energy, smart infrastructure, green agriculture; support ASEAN enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises, to participate in the supply chain; and cooperate in developing sub-regions, including the Mekong - Korea cooperation mechanism.
Second, deepen cultural cooperation, education and people-to-people exchanges, tourism development; promote heritage economy, creative industries, cultural connections, cultural and entertainment industries (films, photos, music); expand talent training and vocational education programs; create more favorable conditions for ASEAN citizens to study and work in Korea.
Third, the Prime Minister emphasized that ASEAN and South Korea need to increase their contributions to peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region; ASEAN and South Korea need to jointly promote their interests and responsibilities in building the East Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and sustainable development.
The Prime Minister affirmed that Vietnam supports the efforts of the Korean Government to resume inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation, is ready to actively participate in this process to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous environment on the Korean Peninsula, and supports the denutionalization of the Korean Peninsula.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also personally wished President Lee Jae Myung and South Korea a successful assumption of the role of APEC 2025 President in the coming days.
