South Korea, Asean agree to promote denuclearization, peace in Korean peninsula

BUSAN, South Korea — South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) agreed Tuesday to support complete denuclearization and permanent peace in the Korean peninsula at the Asean-Republic of Korea (ROK) Commemorative Summit.

The commitment was forged when the regional association and Korea adopted a joint vision statement for peace, prosperity, and partnership at the summit in Haeundae-gu, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Under the joint statement, Korea and Asean countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam renewed their commitment to “promote and facilitate dialogue and cooperation, including through Asean-led mechanisms, to support complete denuclearization and the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.”

The nations also aimed to “enhance cooperation in security areas to address traditional and non-traditional security challenges such as transnational crime, terrorism, and violent extremism, and further strengthen cybersecurity cooperation.”

They further vowed to work towards enhanced maritime security and safety, freedom of navigation, as well as promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

South Korea and Asean also committed to taking steps to strengthen their strategic, economic and socio-cultural partnership, as well as their sustainable and environmental cooperation.

In relation to this, South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked Asean member states to constantly send a “unified message” to North Korea and the United States so that they could restart working-level denuclearization talks at an early date.