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On Aug. 18

South Korea’s Blue House announced that it will be holding two special summits, one with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and one with countries around the Mekong River, on Nov. 25-27.

Joo Hyung-chul, an economic aide to the president and chair of the special committee for South Korea’s New Southern Policy, made the announcement in a press conference at the Blue House on Aug. 18.

“President Moon has invited the leaders of the ten ASEAN member states to Busan on Nov. 25-26 for a special summit marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a dialogue relationship between South Korea and ASEAN. A related summit between South Korean and the Mekong River states will be held on Nov. 27,” Joo said.

“During the summits, the leaders are expected to discuss major issues, both regional and international, on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a formal dialogue relationship between South Korea and ASEAN,” the presidential aide said.

“Given recent international developments, such as the escalating trade conflict between major countries and the growing trend of protectionism, South Korea and ASEAN member states will explore ways to open markets, expand trade, strengthen the free trade order, and achieve shared prosperity through cooperation.”

This will be the third special summit between South Korea and ASEAN to be held, following previous events in 2009 and 2014, and it will be the largest international meeting to be held in South Korea since Moon became president.

“While the meetings are being held, young people from South Korea and the ASEAN member states will board a ‘South Korea-ASEAN train’ passing through Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and the DMZ,” Joo said.

“We will upgrade our relations with ASEAN and India to a level equivalent to those with our major neighboring countries and develop them into a cooperative relationship for common prosperity,” Moon said during his Liberation Day address on Aug. 15, adding that South Korea’s two summits in November would “mark a milestone in the groundbreaking development of relations with ASEAN and the Mekong countries.”

By emphasizing the importance of a fair and open free trade order, these summits are also expected to touch on the harm caused to the global free trade order by Japan’s removal of South Korea from its white list of countries that enjoy streamlined screening of exports.

“Economic growth in the ASEAN countries is heavily dependent on the free trade order. Since there are still a hundred days left until the summit is held, we cannot predict how the situation will develop subsequently, but there will probably be a discussion of the importance of maintaining the system of free and open trade,” Joo said.

Joo declined to comment on whether North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would be invited to the summit. “The most important thing is that North Korea-US dialogue is going well. Whether an invitation will be made depends on progress in North Korea-US relations,” he said.

During the South Korea-ASEAN summit held in Singapore in Nov. 2018, Indonesian President Joko Widodo suggested that Kim be invited to next year’s summit, arguing that the presence of the leaders of both South and North Korea would further enhance the significance of the summit. Moon responded to what he called a “notable proposal” by promising to “positively consider this idea as Korean Peninsula affairs move toward peace.”

By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter

Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]