President Lee Boards Return Flight on October 27
Summit Held with Cambodian Prime Minister During ASEAN
'Korea Task Force' to Be Established Locally in November
'CSP' Vision Presented to ASEAN Member States
ASEAN Adopts Statement on Strengthening Economic and Financial Cooperation
Back in Korea, Lee Expected to Focus on APEC Preparations
President Lee Jaemyung, who visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to attend the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit, departed for home on October 27 after completing his two-day, one-night schedule. President Lee is expected to review the outcomes of the ASEAN meetings and begin preparations for the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.
'Korea Task Force' to be Established in Cambodia in November
At approximately 15:57 on the same day, President Lee boarded Air Force One, the presidential jet, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport for his return flight to Korea.
President Lee began his day with a summit meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet. He stated, "Due to scam crimes, all of our citizens in Korea are extremely sensitive," and added, "I sincerely thank the Cambodian authorities for their special consideration for Korean nationals."
In response, Prime Minister Hun said, "Recently, there was the unfortunate incident of a Korean university student dying in Cambodia. I offer my deepest condolences," and explained, "The Cambodian police did not remain idle. They immediately launched an investigation and apprehended the perpetrators." He further emphasized, "The Cambodian government places the highest priority on combating transnational crimes such as human trafficking and drug-related offenses."
The two leaders agreed to launch a joint task force, the 'Korea Task Force,' dedicated to handling scam crimes and other incidents involving Korean nationals, starting in November. The details regarding the dispatch and operation of Korean police officers within the task force will be finalized soon. President Lee stated, "With the launch of the task force, I will instruct a review of lowering the travel advisories for certain areas, including Phnom Penh."
President Lee Unlikely to Meet U.S. or Japanese Leaders... Focus to Shift to APEC Preparations
During the subsequent Korea-ASEAN Summit, President Lee announced the plan to host a special Korea-ASEAN Summit in 2029, marking the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. At the same time, he presented a vision for developing the 'Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP),' the highest level of partnership ASEAN forms with external countries. The vision, using the acronym CSP, is structured as 'Contributor' (helping realize dreams and hopes), 'Springboard' (for growth and innovation), and 'Partner' (for peace and stability).
At the ASEAN+3 Summit, which brought together ASEAN member states and the three Northeast Asian countries (Korea, China, and Japan), President Lee expressed support for the 'ASEAN+3 Leaders' Statement on Strengthening Regional Economic and Financial Cooperation,' which was adopted to address complex crises such as protectionism and the restructuring of global supply chains. The Korean government pledged to contribute an additional 10,000 tons to the 'ASEAN+3 Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR)' this year, in line with the spirit of ASEAN cooperation, and to foster future generations through initiatives such as the ASEAN+3 Center for Gifted Education in Science.
President Lee boarded his return flight after holding a final summit meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of ASEAN this year.
However, the anticipated encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump did not take place. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yujeong explained, "The ASEAN dinner was attended only by the leaders of the 11 member states and the United States. Japan and Korea were not part of that dinner." It was also reported that President Lee did not have a separate meeting with Takaiichi Sanae, the new Japanese Prime Minister, who had departed early for a Japan-U.S. summit.
Upon his return to Korea, President Lee will focus on full-scale preparations for APEC starting October 28. At APEC, he is expected to concentrate on related agendas, including summit meetings with the leaders of the United States and China.
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