Seoul: Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo met with ambassadors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Monday to discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation between South Korea and the ASEAN region, Yeo's office said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting focused on expanding bilateral cooperation, including trade expansion, improvements to the Korea-ASEAN free trade agreement (FTA), and supply chain collaboration. The discussions took place in the context of heightened global trade and geopolitical uncertainties.

The ASEAN committee included ambassadors from 11 member states, such as Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. The recent push to upgrade the bilateral FTA was a key topic, with Yeo expressing Seoul's goal to make progress in negotiations to expand the trade agreement by 2027. The proposed upgrades aim to incorporate digital regulations and reflect changes in the global trade environment.

The ministry highlighted that Yeo and the ASEAN ambassadors agreed on the importance of continuing supply chain cooperation as "close" partners, particularly in light of recent global supply chain volatility arising from the Middle East crisis.