Yi Whan-woo is a Korea Times journalist primarily covering finance. He writes in-depth articles on macroeconomy and financial markets and previously covered sports, politics, diplomacy and inter-Korean affairs, among others. Feel free to contact him at yistory@koreatimes.co.kr.
ASEAN workshop offers peek into next 30 years of Korea relations
Participants in the ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop with Deputy Head Phan The Thang, fourth left in the third row, from the ASEAN-Korea Centre's Information and Data Unit, during their visit to the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) in Hanoi, Jan. 7. The ASEAN-Korea Centre hosted the workshop in Hanoi, Seoul and Busan from Jan. 6 to 16 as part of efforts to enhance youth cultural exchanges. / ASEAN-Korea Centre
By Yi Whan-woo
Participants in the ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop with Minister Counsellor Han Sung-ho, sixth left in the front row, from the South Korean Embassy in Hanoi, and Deputy Head Phan The Thang, fourth right in the front row, from the ASEAN-Korea Centre's Information and Data Unit, during their visit to the embassy, Jan. 8. / Korea Times photo by Yi Whan-woo
By Yi Whan-woo
HANOI ― South Korea and ASEAN forming a cooperative bloc with North Korea is not a mainstream idea in the international diplomatic circle that hopes to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.
It would also be going too far for the South to fully acknowledge the 1965 agreement with Japan over wartime reparations as a step toward establishing a three-way partnership with ASEAN and avoid being overpowered in the Indo-Pacific.
But future leaders of ASEAN and South Korea say these are plausible ― hinting at how creative the next 30 years of ASEAN-South Korea cooperation could be ― when they gathered in Hanoi, Vietnam, from Jan. 6 to 11 as a part of the ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop.
“An ASEAN Plus Two with both Koreas should be created as part of the Korean peace process,” Dao Manh Nghia, a law student at Ho Chi Minh City University in Vietnam, said, referring to ASEAN's multilateral cooperation framework with outside groups.
Hunter Ng, a student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, argued “three factors will contribute to the outcome” of ASEAN-South Korea relations in the next 30 years, with one being cooperation among ASEAN, South Korea and Japan.
The other two are South Korea “letting go of historical baggage against Japan” and strengthening people-to-people exchanges.
Dao Manh Nghia and Hunter Ng were among participants of the workshop hosted by the ASEAN-Korea Centre in Hanoi, Seoul and Busan from Jan. 6 to 16.
The workshop, the centre's opening project this year, invited 14 winners of the 2019 ASEAN-Korea Academic Essay Contest ― with one from Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines, two from Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam and four from South Korea.
The annual contest began in 2016, co-organized by the centre and the ASEAN University Network.
It has been open to all university-level students in ASEAN and South Korea, with the goal of raising public awareness and understanding of the two sides' relations, stimulate youth cultural exchanges and encourage related studies in common interest areas.
The goals are in line with the objectives of the centre ― a Seoul-based intergovernmental organization tasked with promoting the economic and socio-cultural cooperation of the regions.
The 2019 contest was held with growing expectation toward future generations of ASEAN and South Korea, which celebrated their 30th anniversary of relations last year and discussed cooperative measures.
The applicants were asked to write on one of four topics ― “ASEAN and Korea in the emerging Indo-Pacific,” “ASEAN connectivity and beyond,” “Toward a reciprocal cultural exchange: ASEAN wave in Korea,” and “30 years of ASEAN-Korea relations: Retrospect and prospect.”
Participants in the ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop and ASEAN-Korea Centre officials visit Vietnam's leading IT services company FPT in Hanoi, Jan. 9. / ASEAN-Korea Centre
ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop participants visit the Landscape Complex on the outskirts of Hanoi, Jan. 11. / ASEAN-Korea Centre
“In shaping the future community of ASEAN and Korea, the role of young people is more important than ever,” the centre's Secretary-General Lee Hyuk said.
He said the two sides are “advancing together into a new era of partnership” after a commemorative summit among ASEAN and South Korean leaders in Busan November 2019.
“In this regard, the ASEAN-Korea Academic Essay Contest is a valuable program that promotes studies on ASEAN-Korea relations and contributes to nurturing the young minds of ASEAN (member states) and Korea to lead a more sustainable and forward-looking partnership into the future.”
Meanwhile, the Hanoi workshop took place because Vietnam is the 2020 ASEAN chair.
The programs included discussions with students at prestigious schools, such as the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV) ― an academic institution for aspiring diplomats under the wing of the Vietnamese foreign ministry ― and Thuongmai University.
The discussions addressed common challenges faced by ASEAN and South Korea, ranging from the U.S.-China trade war, a rising China, growing U.S. protectionism and its threat to a free market economy.
To tackle some of the challenges, Dao Manh Nghia proposed a three-way cooperative bloc with India, while Ang Guan Teo, also from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, suggested expanding cooperation among defense sectors.
Asked whether the students' suggestions could be feasible in the future, DAV President Nguyen Vu Tung said: “Why not?”
“These are brave ideas and we have to try to convince people on these issues,” he said.
ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop participants ― with officials from the ASEAN-Korea Centre and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) ― visit KOICA. They toured Korea as a part of a workshop in Hanoi and Seoul from Jan. 6 to 16. / ASEAN-Korea Centre
Participants in the ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop listen to a guide during their visit to the ASEAN Culture House in Busan. / ASEAN-Korea Centre
Participants in the ASEAN-Korea Youth Academic Workshop visit Busan Port. / ASEAN-Korea Centre
Among the four South Korean students was Song Ji-eun, a Ph.D. candidate at the National University of Singapore, who wrote an essay on building a consolidated data platform in Southeast Asia as part of efforts to enhance regional connectivity.
She has participated in various youth programs hosted by the centre but found the essay contest and the workshop particularly helpful because of its academic orientation.
“I think these events can help ASEAN and South Korea to advance their academic cooperation,” Song said.
The organizers, noting ASEAN has not been a preferred destination for South Korean graduate or upper-level students, said Song represents people-to-people exchanges in academia.
People-to-people exchanges, along with peace and prosperity, are collectively called the “3Ps” ― the core pillars of President Moon Jae-in's New Southern Policy aimed at deepening ties with ASEAN.
The participants later visited the South Korean Embassy in Hanoi, giving them a rare opportunity to be briefed by a senior diplomat on ASEAN-South Korea relations.
During their Korea stay, participants toured Seoul and Busan, visiting the National Diplomatic Academy, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), both operated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the ASEAN Culture House.