ASEAN, South Korea Upgrade Relationship to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

At the 25th ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Summit, held today in Vientiane, Lao PDR, ASEAN and Korean leaders agreed to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) through the adoption of the Joint Statement on the CSP Establishment.

Chaired by Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, the summit was attended by ASEAN leaders, Yoon Suk Yeol, President of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, who participated as an observer.

The summit marked the 35th anniversary of ASEAN-ROK dialogue relations, during which both ASEAN and ROK leaders expressed deep appreciation for the achievements made over the past 35 years.

The leaders discussed ways to translate the ASEAN-ROK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into concrete actions, focusing on areas such as trade and investment, tourism, the digital economy, Micro, Medium, and Small Enterprises (MSMEs), education, public health, climate change, natural disaster management, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Republic of Korea remains one of ASEAN’s most important and active dialogue partners.

ASEAN-ROK dialogue relations was first established in 1989, elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2010, and further enhanced to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.