KOR-ASIA Forum to offer vision for Korea-ASEAN prosperity

By Yi Whan-woo

Chairman Seung Myung-ho of The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo said Friday the KOR-ASIA Forum 2019 will be an occasion for Korea and the 10 member nations of ASEAN to share a vision for co-prosperity.

He noted the annual forum's theme, “Korea-ASEAN for 30 years together: Opening new era of common prosperity,” was chosen in the lead-up to a special summit between the leaders of Korea and ASEAN in Busan.

Marking 30 years of the dialogue relations between the two sides, the summit from Nov. 25 to 26 will offer discussions on how to build onto to their successful past.

“I am convinced this will be where Korea and ASEAN will draw a vision together for prosperity, not just as cooperative partners, but as sustainable strategic partners,” Seung said in his welcoming address at The Shilla Hotel Seoul.

He said The Korea Times and its sister paper Hankook Ilbo, as the co-hosts of the forum, will continue to help with finding Korea's role in Asia and identifying opportunities.

“Korea and ASEAN have more potential in the coming years,” Seung added, noting the Southeast Asian bloc has the world's third-largest population with 695 million, and is dubbed as “the world's economic growth engine” with its economy expanding by 5 percent annually.

He also noted ASEAN, in terms of Korea ties, has low chances for diplomatic and defense conflicts of interest compared to the four stakeholders of the Korean Peninsula ― the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Regarding cultural and people-to-people exchanges, ASEAN is where Korean popular culture including K-pop and soap operas is most popular in the world and also is Korea's most favorite travel destination.

“And this partly explains why our Hankook Ilbo is the only Korean media outlet to have a correspondent in Hanoi and Jakarta,” Seung said.

The Korea Times has been co-hosting the KOR-ASIA Forum since 2018.