ASEAN leaders call for heightened multilateralism

Dignataries take part in the Kor-Asia Forum at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, Friday. From left are former National Assembly speaker Chung Sye-kyun; Sohn Hak-kyu, chairman of the opposition Bareun Mirae Party; former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Seung Myung-ho, chairman of The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo; National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang; former Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva; Chung Dong-young, former unification minister and leader of the Party for Demcoracy, and Peace; and Hankook Ilbo CEO Lee Jun-hee. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Do Je-hae

Dignitaries and experts at the 2019 Kor-Asia forum on Friday underlined the need to revive multilateral diplomacy amid the rise of unilateral actions by superpowers.

The speakers, including former Prime Minister of Thailand Abhisit Vejjajiva, also underlined the effectiveness of South Korea's New Southern Policy initiated by President Moon Jae-in to bring ties between the country and Southeast Asia to a new level.

Participants of the forum, hosted by The Korea Times' sister paper Hankook Ilbo, also included former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and leaders of major political parties. The forum, which is in its second year to forge closer ties between Korea and Southeast Asia, has a special importance this year as it is taking place ahead of the Nov. 25-27 Korea-ASEAN Commemorative Summit and the inaugural Korea-Mekong Summit in Busan.

The forum started with a speech by the former U.N. chief who highlighted his concerns about the disruptions to multilateralism.

Speakers put a particular emphasis on reviving multilateral diplomacy and the role of ASEAN in promoting peace and prosperity in Asia. The ASEAN leaders taking part in the forum also stressed the role of Southeast Asia in promoting peace in the region. The special role is particularly evident in the fact that it was two ASEAN members, Singapore and Vietnam, which provided the venues for the unprecedented U.S.-North Korea summits.

Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo Chairman Seung Myung-ho, third from left, and Korea Times President and Publisher Lee Byeong-eon, ninth from left, pose with other VIPs including political leaders and ambassadors to Korea during a tea meeting before the KOR-ASIA Forum 2019 at The Shilla Hotel Seoul, Friday. From left are Bareunmirae Party Chairman Sohn Hak-kyu, former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Seung, Guatemala Ambassador Marco Tulio Chicas Sosa, National Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang, former Thai Foreign Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, Indian Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan, German Ambassador Stephan Auer, Lee, Mexican Ambassador Bruno Figueroa, Party for Democracy and Peace Chairman Chung Dong-young, Peruvian Ambassador Daul Matute Mejia, Belarusian Ambassador to Korea Andrei Popkov, Kuwaiti Ambassador Bader Mohammad Al-Awadi and Qatari Ambassador Mohammed Bin Ahmad Al-Hayki. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Speakers, such as ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, also shared their views on the New Southern Policy and expressed their high expectations for next week's Korea-ASEAN Commemorative Summit and the Korea-Mekong Summit in disseminating the importance of strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Korea and ASEAN. The former Thai leader expressed a “personal admiration” for the New Southern Policy aimed at broadening regional integration and unleashing economic opportunities. “With the New Southern Policy we can bring our relations to the higher level,” he said. “The shared perspectives of the New Southern Policy and the establishment of the ASEAN fit very nicely.”

They unanimously called on the need for the “robust implementation” of the New Southern Policy, under which Moon has already completed tours of all 10 ASEAN member nations. They also noted the importance of expediting personnel exchanges and the role of the Korean wave or hallyu phenomenon in bring Korea and ASEAN closer together. Also, they called for more exchanges particularly among the young generations of Korea and the Southeast Asian bloc.

“The region that Koreans visit the most is ASEAN. In particular, ASEAN is a staunch supporter of the peace process on the Korean Peninsula,” National Assembly Speaker Moon said.

Rep. Sim Sang-jung, chairwoman of the progressive Justice Party, called on Korea to show more responsibility for more mature relations with ASEAN. “We need a common vision for increasing the rights and quality of life of Asian citizens,” Sim said. “We need to move toward an ASEAN community that respects the human rights and rights of ASEAN citizens, jointly responds to natural disasters and climate change, and further respects the diversity and traditions of a multi-ethnic society. Korea's leadership will be expanded when it carries out its responsibility in this regard.”