South Korea Seeks Closer ASEAN Cooperation Against Transnational Crime

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, during his first attendance at the ASEAN summit since taking office, emphasized strengthening cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN to tackle transnational crimes, particularly online scams targeting Koreans in Southeast Asia. He proposed expanding the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) with ASEAN, aiming to host a special Korea-ASEAN summit in 2029 to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties, and set goals to increase bilateral trade to $300 billion and boost reciprocal visits to 15 million annually. Lee also called for enhanced trilateral cooperation among South Korea, China, and Japan under the ASEAN+3 framework to address complex geo-economic challenges such as trade protectionism, shifting global supply chains, demographic issues, climate change, and food and energy security. The South Korean National Police Agency will collaborate with ASEAN police chiefs to dismantle criminal networks, ensuring transnational crimes do not take root in the region. Lee reaffirmed South Korea's commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula and sought ASEAN's support for his government's North Korea policy. Additionally, upcoming summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi are planned to further strengthen regional cooperation.