About 100 kilometers southeast of Bangkok, in a remote coastal town called Bang Saen, the five foreign ministers of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand got together in early August 1967 to negotiate an agreement that has now become an exemplary case of regional integration.

In the background, the Vietnam War was in its 12th year, with the first half of the 1960s experiencing many of the war’s biggest battles. Also, the countries in this region had ideological differences as well as some overlapping territorial claims. Nevertheless, on Aug. 8, the ASEAN Declaration, also known as the Bangkok Declaration, through which ASEAN was born, was signed by the founding fathers -- the five foreign ministers -- in the main hall of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Thailand in Bangkok.

ASEAN is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While there has been some skepticism over the progress of ASEAN, and more recently doubts on regional integration itself with global developments such as Brexit, ASEAN has continued its journey of building the ASEAN Community.

ASEAN’s approach to regional integration is unprecedented. With the basic principles of noninterference in the internal affairs of other member states and decision-making by consensus, ASEAN has moved maybe not fast, but in a very steady way.

The member states of ASEAN are very diverse in terms of their politics, economies and cultures, but they are making endless concerted efforts to narrow these differences where they can, to achieve a truly integrated ASEAN Community. It is important for ASEAN that nobody gets left behind.

There are 10 dialogue partners of ASEAN: Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the US and the EU. Among them, Korea has developed one of the most robust partnerships with ASEAN over the decades.

Formal ASEAN-Korea relations were established in 1989, but it was not an easy process. At that time, Korea had yet to become an important player in the international community, or a partner that could be mutually beneficial for ASEAN. However, now Korea is ASEAN’s fifth-largest trade and investment partner. On the other hand, ASEAN is Korea’s second-largest partner in trade, the second-largest destination for investment, and the most preferred tourism destination for Koreans.

It is important to note that ASEAN and Korea have relations that are complementary, and neither side has any ulterior motive. They do not have any historical or territorial disputes, and as a middle power, Korea does not have any hegemonic interests in this region, making the two sides true partners.

For the first time in history, President Moon Jae-in sent a special envoy to ASEAN soon after his inauguration, which indicates that Korea is placing more importance on ASEAN. However, such moves should not end here; Korea should have more concrete visions, strategies and action plans established to enhance relations between ASEAN and Korea. Furthermore, we know that it takes two to tango. ASEAN should also not only view Korea as an immediate partner for short-term benefits, but as a lifelong companion that it shares its future with.

While strengthening Korea’s relations with ASEAN, there is also a lot for Korea to learn from ASEAN. “Unity in diversity” is an important foundational principle of ASEAN, which underlies its ways of addressing disagreements and conflicts among its member states -- through ceaseless consultation and coordination. It would be good for South Korea to take into consideration the principle when the two Koreas become integrated and eventually reunified.

There is a saying that “you cannot love a person if you do not know that person.” A sustainable partnership can only be achieved on the foundation of mutual understanding. This year is the ASEAN-ROK Cultural Exchange Year, and the ASEAN Culture House in Busan will also be opened in early September. At this important juncture, we must take another step forward in the right direction to upgrade our relations with ASEAN.


By Kim Young-sun

Kim Young-sun is secretary-general of ASEAN-Korea Centre and former Korean ambassador to Indonesia. -- Ed.