Prof. Choe Won-gi, head of the Centre for ASEAN - India Studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) grants an interview to a Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Seoul (Photo: VNA) Seoul (VNA) – The year 2023is an important year for the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Vietnam as it is the first year the twocountries officially carried out the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, andthe East Asian nation pins hopes on the latter to support the country in realisingits cooperation goals with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2024, a Korean expert has said.
Talking to the Vietnam NewsAgency's reporter in Seoul, Prof. Choe Won-gi, head of the Centre for ASEAN - India Studies at theKorea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA), said that with many importantagreements reached during RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol's visit to Vietnamin June last year, Vietnam and the RoK have opened a new chapter in theirbilateral cooperation since their diplomatic ties were set up 30 years ago.
Noting that leaders of the two countries have agreed to prioritise bilateral cooperation inthe fields of politics and security, the professor opined the cooperation should include maritime security and lawenforcement. In the field of economic trade and investment, the two countriesneed to raise cooperation to a higher level, covering infrastructure, telecommunications, emerging technology and energy.
In the coming time, it isnecessary for the RoK and Vietnam to concentrate on more complex industrialsectors and emerging areas of economic cooperation in alignment with the framework of RoK'sIndo-Pacific Strategy, he said.
The RoK President has launched aregional strategy called the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) which providesfertile ground for the two countries to strengthen cooperation, not only at thebilateral level but also at the regional and global levels, he continued.
Regarding RoK-ASEANcooperation in 2023 and orientation for 2024, the professor said that RoK'sparticipation was very positively received by ASEAN member countries,especially at RoK-ASEAN summit last year in Jakarta.
The year 2024 marks 35thanniversary of the establishment of partnership between the RoK and ASEAN. Onthis occasion, the RoK wishes to upgrade relations with ASEAN to a comprehensivestrategic partnership. Both sides are in the process of seeking tangiblesupport for the new relationship, such as a plan of actions, he said.
According to the scholar, the RoK hashigh expectation for Vietnam's role as a bridge and its ability to help thecountry obtain its cooperation goals with ASEAN.
He assessed that the bilateral partnershipbetween RoK and Vietnam is the most important in RoK's overall cooperation withASEAN member countries, explaining that although Vietnam joined ASEAN late, its role andinfluence in ASEAN has been increasingly strengthened, and the country is an active participant, contributing to shaping the common future of ASEAN.According to him, there are many things that Vietnam can do in the intermediary and coordinating role between the RoK and ASEAN.
Commenting on RoK-ASEANcooperation and the role of Vietnam, Assistant Professor Beak Yong-hun from theSchool of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies under the Republic of Korea (RoK)’sDankook University said that the RoK wants to promote practical andfuture-oriented cooperation with ASEAN and the Mekong region. Theadministration of President Yoon advocates expanding practical collaboration infuture-oriented fields such as digital transformation, climate change response,medical services and health care, and at the same time broaden strategiccooperation in areas of common interest between the Korea and ASEAN, such asmaritime security and defence industry./.
