Manila: South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun urged North Korea to engage in dialogue and collaborate on promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Manila. The call to action was made amidst the absence of North Korea from the 27-member multilateral security forum for the second consecutive year. Cho emphasized the significance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for regional security and prosperity, reaffirming South Korea's commitment to fostering a peaceful coexistence with North Korea.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Cho highlighted the necessity of mutual efforts to achieve these goals, expressing hope that North Korea would respond to Seoul's offers for dialogue and cooperation. The ARF remains a crucial platform as the only regional multilateral security forum involving both South and North Korea. Despite North Korea's absence, participants at the forum voiced concerns over its continued nuclear weapons and missile development, stressing the importance of denuclearization and adherence to U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Inter-Korean relations have been strained since Pyongyang labeled the two Koreas as "two hostile states" in late 2023. The North has ignored Washington's dialogue proposals while strengthening ties with Russia and China. Cho also pledged South Korea's support for the Manila Plan of Action, which outlines the ARF's cooperative direction for the next decade, and confirmed Seoul's active participation in co-chairing upcoming ARF inter-sessional meetings.

Later in the day, Cho participated in the East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers' Meeting, where discussions covered the Middle East crisis, tensions in the South China Sea, and other regional security issues. EAS members, including South Korea, the U.S., China, Japan, Russia, and India, expressed concerns over North Korea's nuclear ambitions and stressed the need for diplomatic resolutions on the Korean Peninsula.

In addressing the South China Sea, Cho underscored maintaining peace, ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight, and upholding maritime order based on international law, including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea. He advocated for a code of conduct aligned with international law that respects the rights of all parties involved.