Kuala lumpur: Asia-Pacific's largest security forum is set to commence as top diplomats gather in Malaysia, with U.S. President Donald Trump's steep tariffs expected to cast a shadow over the annual meetings. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) talks, joined by South Korea, the United States, Japan, China, and Russia, aim to provide a platform for diplomatic engagement and regional peace initiatives.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea is keen to emphasize its commitment to ASEAN diplomacy under the new administration of President Lee Jae Myung. The discussions occur shortly after Trump's decision to extend a tariff deadline and impose a 25 percent "reciprocal" tariff on South Korea, adding another layer of complexity to the talks.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo will represent South Korea at the South Korea-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, where the focus will be on enhancing cooperation in areas such as digital transformation and the green transition. South Korea and its ASEAN partners are expected to adopt five-year action plans to implement agreed-upon initiatives.
In addition, Park will participate in the ASEAN Plus Three meeting with Japan and China to explore deeper economic and regional cooperation. On the sidelines of the forum, Park is set to hold bilateral discussions with Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore, along with other countries.
On Friday, Park will attend the East Asia Summit, which brings together ASEAN members and regional powers, including China, Japan, the U.S., and Russia. He is also scheduled to engage in talks with the five Mekong countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The series of meetings will culminate in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the region's only multilateral security platform including North Korea. However, this year, Pyongyang is expected to skip the forum, marking the first absence since joining in 2000. Diplomatic sources suggest North Korea's absence is linked to ASEAN practices and the current state of relations between Malaysia and North Korea.
Malaysia, hosting this year's event, cut diplomatic ties with North Korea in 2021 following diplomatic tensions after extraditing a North Korean businessman to the U.S. for money laundering charges. Relations had already been strained due to the 2017 assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Since the collapse of nuclear talks with the U.S. in 2019, North Korea has been represented at the ARF by its ambassador based in the ASEAN region. Park is standing in for South Korea's foreign minister, whose nomination is pending parliamentary confirmation.