Minister Kang Kyung-hwa Holds Video Conference with ASEAN Envoys... Discusses COVID-19 Cooperation and Strengthening New Southern Policy

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the afternoon of the 3rd, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a video conference with ASEAN mission chiefs to discuss the current status of cooperation with ASEAN regarding the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), future diplomatic prospects, and ways to strengthen the New Southern Policy.

The meeting was attended by mission chiefs and ambassadors to ASEAN from the 10 ASEAN member countries including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the ASEAN Secretariat.

In her opening remarks, Minister Kang stated, “Through the efforts of our missions, about 6,800 of our overseas nationals have returned from the ASEAN region so far, and approximately 2,300 of our businesspeople have been able to undertake essential business trips to ASEAN countries,” encouraging continued efforts to protect our citizens and support corporate activities.

She also urged the mission chiefs to actively propose concrete measures based on their vivid field experiences to more powerfully and effectively promote the New Southern Policy, leveraging Korea’s innovative capabilities demonstrated during the COVID-19 response and its strengthened position as a capable middle power.

Park Bok-young, Chairman of the New Southern Special Committee, who also attended, emphasized, “Although we have faced unexpected changes in the policy environment due to COVID-19, it is necessary to enhance our national prestige through the achievements of K-quarantine and further strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in people, prosperity, and peace.”

He explained that they are preparing development plans for the New Southern Policy to effectively respond to new external environmental changes, reflecting ASEAN’s demand for health cooperation with Korea and ASEAN’s strategic importance to Korea, and requested continued cooperation from the mission chiefs.

In response, the attending mission chiefs stated that their top priority is to minimize inconveniences for our citizens and companies operating abroad and support overcoming damages. They will identify the remaining demand for repatriation and assist the safe return of overseas nationals while further activating special entry for businesspeople.

They also mentioned that they will spare no effort to actively facilitate the smooth resumption of human exchanges and economic cooperation with ASEAN, which have been contracted due to COVID-19. The ASEAN mission chiefs emphasized the increasing requests and expectations for ‘K-quarantine’ from ASEAN and the need to prepare customized cooperation measures reflecting on-site demands.

In particular, Ambassador Im Sung-nam, Ambassador to ASEAN, evaluated that following the ASEAN+3 special video summit, the establishment of the ‘COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund’ has contributed to enhancing ASEAN’s quarantine capabilities through Korea, China, and Japan, and introduced efforts to institutionalize health cooperation such as the establishment of a Korea-ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting.

The ambassadors agreed that health cooperation will become a core element in advancing the New Southern Policy and exchanged opinions on discovering differentiated cooperation projects by country to ensure policy continuity and reliability.

A Foreign Ministry official explained, “This meeting is evaluated as an opportunity to actively seek ways to strengthen diplomacy with ASEAN, a key partner in our New Southern Policy, through organic communication among headquarters, missions, and the New Southern Special Committee in preparation for the new diplomatic environment after COVID-19.”