Moon should lead ASEAN diplomacy

By Kim Jae-kyoung

SINGAPORE ― President Moon Jae-in has pledged to pursue multiple-track diplomacy since he took office.

He believes now is the time for South Korea to diversify its diplomacy because it has been too occupied with its relations with the four great powers ― the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

This approach has limited its diplomatic strategies at times of uncertainty deepened by North Korea’s continuing provocations and growing global protectionism.

For multilateral diplomacy, Moon is focusing on developing more robust relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reduce its isolation from the rest of Asia ― other than China and Japan.

Moon sent Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon to ASEAN as a special envoy on his inauguration and has called for a task force aimed at expanding Korea’s diplomacy with ASEAN.

His move is a step in the right direction in that ASEAN will be one of the most important markets to Korea both in economic and political aspects.

However, in order to bring meaningful changes to Korea-ASEAN relations under his presidency, Moon should differentiate himself from his predecessors by taking a leading role in ASEAN diplomacy.

The best and most effective way to do so is to visit ASEAN member states for bilateral summits as soon as possible.

In hindsight, just stressing the importance of the ASEAN region and unveiling related policies has failed to impress ASEAN leaders who feel Korea is not as interested in the region as Japan and China are.

Moon’s early state visits to ASEAN member states will surely send a strong message that South Korea is pursuing more comprehensive, stronger ties with the region by working toward enhancing cooperation even in political and security areas.

South Korea has seen robust growth in its economic and cultural presence in ASEAN nations on the rise of hallyu, or the Korean wave, but the country still lacks political links here.

Former President Park Geun-hye’s foreign policy should be held accountable. Compared to her counterparts from Japan and China, she did not show a strong commitment to enhancing relations with ASEAN, only placing greater emphasis on the four great powers.

This is in stark contrast to the fact that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited all ASEAN countries in his first year in office alone.

In this regard, the most powerful way to change ASEAN’s perceptions toward Korea would be for Moon to visit some key ASEAN nations on his way back to Seoul following his summit with Donald Trump in Washington in late June.

Together with more frequent visits to ASEAN states, Moon needs to make the best use of ASEAN media at the beginning of his presidency to improve Korea’s image and thus political presence in the region.

Park and her administration refused a series of interview requests from key ASEAN media, while leaders from China and Japan have often been appearing on media here to voice their opinions.

Moon should acknowledge this kind of effort will be very conducive to solidifying relationships and strengthening a political presence in the region.

There are enough reasons for Moon to spearhead ASEAN diplomacy.

With a combined GDP of over $2.6 trillion, the ASEAN economy is the world’s seventh largest. Its population is the third largest with 625 million people. Its middle-class consumer households’ purchasing power is steadily rising.

On top of its economic benefits, ASEAN also can play an important role in resolving the North Korean issue because many ASEAN countries have diplomatic relations with the reclusive country and both South and North Korea are members of the ASEAN Regional Forum.

What is more important is that ASEAN and Korea do not have any hidden agenda against each other, and there are no major sources of disputes or tensions.

Moon must remember that once Japan and China become more entrenched in the region, it would be more challenging for Korea to make forays into the promising market. It is time to act swiftly and strategically to win the hearts and minds of the ASEAN people.