12th ASEAN-ROK Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand, on Oct. 24

The President, currently on a state visit to Thailand, attended the 12th Korea-ASEAN Summit held in the Dusit Thani Hua Hin Hotel on Saturday (Oct. 24). Lee and the leaders of 10 ASEAN countries discussed ways to further improve Korea-ASEAN relations.

Lee pointed out Korea-ASEAN relations has been showing progress in political, social, economic and cultural sectors over recent past years. He especially praised several achievements made this year, namely the establishment of the Korea-ASEAN Center on March 13, the signing of the Korea-ASEAN investment treaty on June 2 and the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit on June 1 and 2. The last function, which took place on Korea''s Jeju-do (Jeju Island), is known to have laid a cornerstone for more systematic development between Korea and the ASEAN nations.

In the latest meeting President Lee explained the progress so far made on the earlier pledges, classifying them into three main areas: development and cooperation; low carbon green growth; and cultural and personnel exchanges.

As announced back at the ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit, President Lee pledged to scale up Korea''s official development assistance (ODA) to twice the amount of that extended in 2008 by the year 2015, and promised to use half the amount of the East Asia Climate Partnership Fund ($200 million) to operate cooperative projects with ASEAN regions.

In low carbon green growth, Korea selected water management, low carbon cities, low carbon energy, forestry, biomass and waste disposal as the six main areas for assistance to ASEAN nations. In the area of climate change, Korea also plans to pursue a Korea-ASEAN green partnership from 2010, allowing exchanges between experts at green conferences and so on.

For people exchanges Korea is coming up with various projects for future youth exchange between the countries. The government plans to open three more Korea Culture Centers in the ASEAN region, namely in Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia, to further intensify cultural exchanges with those nations. The ASEAN leaders expressed gratitude for that. Lee thanked them in return for their active support.

All agreed to keep up close ties to continue to carry out the pledges made in the joint statement given during the Commemorative Summit held on Jeju Island. Then they adopted a presidential statement that contains the results of the latest Korea-ASEAN summit.

There was also a final report on the Korea-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group, which was formed early this year to upgrade Korea-ASEAN ties and propose a suitable vision for the regions to follow. Under the proposed joint vision of “FEEL Asia” (Fellowship, Education, Environment, Liberalized trade) some of the notable suggestions included in the report called for Korea and ASEAN nations to form a strategic partnership, upgrade the level of Korea-ASEAN dialogue to that of a Senior Officials'' Meeting (SOM), regularize the Korea-ASEAN CEO Summit and establish a business council. The leaders decided to study the matter.

The leaders of Korea and ASEAN nations, then, made a high evaluation of progress made in Korea-ASEAN cooperative measures for the past two years and adopted the third report for further implementation of Korea-ASEAN activities.

“The president''s recent visit to Southeast Asian countries is meaningful, in that Korea as the host of next year''s G20 summit has secured various venues to communicate, exchange information and reflect the views of newly emerging Asian nations, thus laying a basis for future cooperation with that region,” said Kim Eun-hye, the spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae, attesting to the Lee administration''s “new Asia diplomacy."

This was the first time for Lee to attend the ASEAN+3 and East Asia Summit (EAS) since his inauguration as President. Following this past summer''s ASEAN-Korea Commemorative Summit, he is currently on a state visit to three ASEAN nations: Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, from Oct. 20 to 25.