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South Korean President Moon Jae-in and ASEAN heads of state attend a showcase of a hydroelectric car during the South Korea-ASEAN special summit in Busan on Nov. 26. (Blue House photo pool)

The heads of state attending the special South Korea-ASEAN commemorative summit that wrapped up in Busan on Nov. 26 joined hands in a vow to cooperate toward achieving peace and alleviating development gaps within their region. In a joint news release that day, they announced plans to promote security, economic, and social cooperation.

“The 'Asian wisdom' we shared during this cold winter will warm both Asia and all of humankind,” they declared.

During the summit, South Korea and the 10 ASEAN member countries agreed to implement visa simplification and air travel liberalization efforts to allow a freer expansion of human exchanges, which have involved over 11 million to date. Noting that “over 600,000 citizens of ASEAN countries are currently residing in South Korea,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said he planned to “devote more interest and actively provide support to promote the interests of ASEAN citizens in South Korea, including multicultural family members and workers, and assist their transition as members of the community.”

The leaders also agreed on the need to expand free trade for the sake of shared prosperity among Asian countries. The participating heads of state said they had “reaffirmed amid growing global concerns about protectionism that free trade is the path to shared prosperity.” The attitude suggests a heightened perception of the need for South Korea and ASEAN states to cooperate based on their mutual interests amid the diplomatic row that has erupted between Seoul and Tokyo over Japan’s surprise export control measures and the intensifying trade frictions between Washington and Beijing.

“South Korea welcomes the ‘ASEAN perspective on the Indo-Pacific region’ announced by the ASEAN countries this past June, and we will join in regional cooperation based on the ASEAN-centered approach,” Moon said.

The leaders further agreed on increasing the scope and scale of economic cooperation. Moon said, “We have no way of knowing what kind of future the Fourth Industrial Revolution era will bring. We need to increase our cooperation and solidarity.” He and the other leaders also visited an “ROK-ASEAN start-up summit and innovation growth showcase” organized at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center (BEXCO), where they viewed booths in halls dedicated to smart farming, future environment/energy, future mobility, and other areas.

That evening, Moon held a welcome dinner for the inaugural Mekong-Republic of Korea summit, which begins on Nov. 27.

“By preserving peace and stability within the region and encouraging North Korea to participate as part of the international community, the Mekong nations have played a major role in relaxing tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” he noted.

“The Mekong countries are also poised to share their experiences and offer the best assistance as North Korea emerges into the world through denuclearization,” he predicted. Coming as part of a message of thanks to Vietnam for furnishing the venue for a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, his remarks expressed the need to draw on its experience with economic development since normalizing relations with the US.

Moon also said South Korea and the Mekong nations had “overcome the difficulties of the era of imperialism to achieve growth while preserving their own survival and self-respect while sandwiched among the major powers in the Cold War era.”

“I am confident that the Mekong River’s dynamism and South Korea’s experience can come together to produce a miracle for everyone,” he said.

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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