Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
ASEAN-Korea Centre hosts 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum
ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Jae-shin delivers opening remarks at the 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum's opening ceremony in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Centre
By Kim Hyun-bin
The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) hosted the 12th ASEAN Connectivity Forum, a two-day event that began Tuesday in Seoul, offering a platform to review the achievements of the past 15 years and discuss the future of the ASEAN-Korea partnership. ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Established in 2013, the forum is the only event in Korea dedicated to ASEAN connectivity. It marked its 12th anniversary this year as the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 also approaches its conclusion.
The MPAC 2025 was initiated in 2010 to integrate the ASEAN economic community into a single market and production base. Its five strategic focus areas included sustainable infrastructure, digital innovation, seamless logistics, regulatory excellence and people mobility.
“As we mark the 12th anniversary of this forum, it served as a platform to discuss challenges and lessons from past projects and explore ways to enhance ASEAN-Korea cooperation in connectivity initiatives,” AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin said.
The two-day forum featured thematic sessions, a strategy planning session and high-level discussions. Day 1 on Thursday included three sessions focusing on physical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity.
The first session addressed physical connectivity, including transportation and internet infrastructure as well as energy connectivity, and was moderated by Lee Jae-hyon, principal fellow and director of the Center for Regional Studies at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.
The second session covered institutional connectivity, including ASEAN economic integration, data connectivity, the establishment of data centers and regulatory frameworks, moderated by Win Min Phyoe, head of the investment and trade unit at the AKC.
The third session focused on people-to-people connectivity, addressing labor mobility and case studies of ASEAN-Korea labor mobility cooperation in both public and private sectors, moderated by Christina Chan, head of the culture and tourism unit at the AKC.
Day 2 commenced with an opening ceremony, including remarks by Kim Jae-shin, secretary general of the AKC; Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Chung Byung-won of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Tanee Sangrat, ambassador of Thailand to Korea and ASEAN-ROK dialogue relations coordinator.
The day’s highlight was the strategy planning session moderated by Suh Jeong-in, former Korean ambassador to ASEAN and member of the board of directors at the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
Panelists included Intan Ramli, senior policy fellow at ERIA; Raymond Yee, vice president for Customs & Regulatory Affairs at DHL Express; Bingxun Seng, partner and ASEAN economic advisory leader at EY Corporate Advisors; and Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso, eminent person of the Philippines to the High-Level Task Force on the ASEAN Community Vision 2045.
The session evaluated 15 years of ASEAN connectivity projects and outlined the direction for post-MPAC 2025 initiatives, emphasizing the potential for a strengthened ASEAN-Korea partnership.