ADRN

The KF Korea Workshop is hosted by the Korea Foundation and organized by the East Asia Institute to promote and share understanding of Korean social, political, and economic issues among international residents in Korea.

For the second lecture of our2018 KF Korea Workshop series, EAI and the Korea Foundation invited Mr. Jaehyon Lee, a Senior Research Fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies to present on the topic of‘ASEAN-Korea Relations and Korea’s New Southern Policy.’Mr. Lee is a part of the ASEAN-Oceania Research Program at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, and his major research fields include Southeast Asian politics, ASEAN, and cooperation within East Asia. During the lecture, he discussed ASEAN as a new diplomatic partner of Korea and the New Southern Policy that President Moon proposed. 

ASEAN-Korea relations have been developing since 1989. ASEAN is nowessential partner of Korea, with Korea working to bolster ties under the new administration.In the past, South Korea has relied heavily on great powers, including China and the US, in its diplomacy. Strengthening diplomatic relations with the ASEAN is an effort to reduce this dependence to some degree. Furthermore, ASEAN promises to be an important actor in North Koreandenuclearization.

President Moon’s New Southern Policy focuses on South Korea’srelationships with ASEAN and India, aiming to elevate these relationsto the level of relations with the four major powers:the US, China, Russia, and Japan. The New Southern Policy reflectsSouth Korea’s need to diversify its diplomatic relations and form strategic networksthat supersede theUS-China rivalry. In the long run, this policy will contribute to the establishment of peaceful, cooperative relationships with ASEAN members.