1st Anniversary of 'Intae Strategy' Establishment... Government Unveils 52 Detailed Blueprints

"Rule-Based Order for Intra- and Extra-Regional Strategic Consultative Bodies"

The government has unveiled an implementation blueprint containing 52 detailed plans to mark the first anniversary of the Indo-Pacific Strategy (hereinafter referred to as the Indo-Pacific Strategy) announced at the end of last year.

On the afternoon of the 19th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held an inter-ministerial Indo-Pacific forum at the Seoul Government Complex annex, attended by related ministries and the diplomatic corps in Korea, to explain the Indo-Pacific Strategy implementation plan established over the past year. At the end of last year, the government revealed Korea's first independent regional diplomacy strategy, the "Indo-Pacific Strategy for Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity." To concretely implement this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs formed a task force (TF) for the Indo-Pacific Strategy implementation and, through inter-governmental consultations, expert opinion gathering, and discussions with key partner countries, selected nine key promotion tasks and 52 detailed tasks.

On the 19th, ahead of the first anniversary of the government's Indo-Pacific strategy announcement, Jang Hojin, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the keynote speech at the Pan-Government Indo-Pacific Forum held at the Seoul Government Complex Annex under the theme "Republic of Korea's Indo-Pacific Implementation Plan for Freedom, Peace, and Prosperity."
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Among the key tasks, detailed tasks for "Establishing an Indo-Pacific regional order based on norms and rules" include strengthening communication for building the Indo-Pacific regional order, institutionalizing Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, and expanding cooperation among Indo-Pacific regional dialogue bodies. Jang Ho-jin, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated, "We have a firm will to promote freedom in the Indo-Pacific region," and added, "We plan to establish strategic consultative bodies with regional and extra-regional countries to uphold a rules-based order."

Vice Minister Jang specifically mentioned, "We plan to establish and regularize a high-level Indo-Pacific forum to discuss the future of the Indo-Pacific region," and "We also plan to create various consultative bodies with key partner countries." In this regard, it is known that Korea, the U.S., and Japan are actively coordinating to hold the first deputy minister-level "Indo-Pacific Dialogue" early next year to share their Indo-Pacific strategies and discuss ways to expand synergy.

The plan also includes actively expanding comprehensive security cooperation within the region, including maritime security such as cooperation in combating piracy and ensuring navigation safety, as well as real-time maritime surveillance and information sharing. The government envisions playing a more proactive role in protecting regional sea lanes and ensuring navigation safety.

Vice Minister Jang explained, "To respond to situations occurring in the vast waters connecting the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, we plan to establish a Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) platform and strengthen information sharing with regional countries," adding, "In particular, we intend to enhance synergy through exchanges among maritime law enforcement agencies."

Recently, the government has been strengthening maritime security cooperation with ASEAN countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines. The government's active intention to contribute to maritime security is noteworthy, especially as ASEAN countries require support from extra-regional countries in maritime security to respond to China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea. Additionally, the government plans to appoint a high-level government representative next year to oversee the overall implementation of the Indo-Pacific Strategy.