Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-c9gpj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-09T13:13:22.599Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Message

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2015

K. Kesavapany
Affiliation:
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies Singapore
Get access

Summary

In June 2009, the leaders of Korea and the ten ASEAN member countries met in Jeju for the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit. At that historic meeting, the eleven leaders recognized that Korea and ASEAN had been developing a mutually beneficial relationship over the past twenty years. The summit took place also in the context of Korea's efforts to strengthen its relations with ASEAN through the New Asia Initiative.

The world's economic centre of gravity is shifting towards the continent. Korea, as an Asian economic powerhouse, and ASEAN — a potential economic heavyweight in Asia on account of its population, its growth rates (dented but not destroyed by the global crisis), and attractiveness to foreign investors — enjoy natural points of compatibility and convergence that can solidify their cooperation in the years ahead. Cooperation is something that policy-makers in Korea and the ASEAN capitals must work towards if the region at large is to fulfil its potential.

Unfortunately, Asia is home to several security challenges as well. The actions of the North Korean Government in upping the strategic stakes in Northeast Asia are a case in point. Terrorism remains a problem in Southeast Asia. As two responsible stakeholders in the international system, South Korea and ASEAN have a common interest in ensuring peace, stability, and prosperity in the two Asian sub-regions. One important point to remember is that they can achieve much because both are nonthreatening international actors whose benign intentions are recognized by others as well.

Finally, the importance of people-to-people ties cannot be overestimated. The peoples of Korea and ASEAN must see themselves as culturally fellow-Asians if the new Asia is to take its place at the table of the great powers.

Type
Chapter
Information
Korea's Changing Roles in Southeast Asia
Expanding Influence and Relations
, pp. xiii - xiv
Publisher: ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
Print publication year: 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×