Page 59 - AEI Insights 2020 - Vol. 6, Issue 1

Rosland, 2020

sides which will facilitate the ASEAN-ROK Sectoral Dialogue Relations agreed area. In July
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1991 , the relationship became a Full Dialogue Partnership at the 24 ASEAN Ministerial
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Meeting (AMM) in Kuala Lumpur and in 1997, the partnership elevated to a summit level
whereby the cooperation between ASEAN-ROK was led to the development of official
mechanism in various sectors.
Since then, the cooperation developed to a signing of the Declaration on Comprehensive
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Cooperation Partnership at the 8th ASEAN-ROK Summit on 30 November 2004 in Vientiane
and also adopted the ASEAN-ROK Plan of Action (POA) to implement the Joint Declaration
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at the 9th ASEAN-ROK Summit on 13 December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. The growth of
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partnership extended to the establishment of ASEAN-ROK Centre in Seoul in 2009 where
this centre was used as an intergovernmental organisation to promote exchanges between South
Korea and ASEAN member countries. Its objectives are 1) enhance ASEAN-Korea
partnership, 2) promote mutual understanding through, 3) cultural exchange and people-to-
people contact, and 4) support ASEAN integration efforts (CENTRE, 2016). This centre
organized programme such as ASEAN school tour programme 2017, ASEAN Lecture series
2017, various youth network workshop, and culinary festivals as part of the activities that can
strengthen the cooperation among ten member countries and ROK.

Socio-culture and Education Relationship

The relationship between ASEAN-ROK came under various platforms which showed the
commitments towards a successful regional cooperation. There are bilateral and multilateral
relationship that came under ARF, APT, EAS, and ADMM Plus which have improved the
mutual friendship between these two parties. With diverse issues and discussion brought into
the platforms served under ASEAN, ROK has been empowered in their country’s position
within the region.
The initial stage of the official relationship between ASEAN – ROK started with the
establishment of the Sectorial Dialogue Partnership in 2 November 1989 – where both ASEAN
and ROK began concentrating in the areas of trade, investment, and tourism. Both parties
continuously expanded towards the development cooperation, transfer of technology, and
human resources development (HRD). In July 1991, the relationship became a Full Dialogue
Partnership at the 24th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Kuala Lumpur and in 1997, the
partnership elevated to a summit level whereby the cooperation between ASEAN-ROK was
led to the development of official mechanism in various sectors.
The growth of partnership extended to the establishment of ASEAN-ROK Centre in Seoul in
2009 where this centre was used as an intergovernmental organisation to promote exchanges
between South Korea and ASEAN member countries. Its objectives are 1) enhance ASEAN-
Korea partnership, 2) promote mutual understanding through, 3) cultural exchange and people-

th
35 This is the second meeting of the ASEAN-ROK JSCC on 11 -12 June 1991 in Seoul which was attended by
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delegations from ASEAN member countries and ROK. The meeting was to review the previous cooperation
projects and also to enhance the area discussed (the development cooperation, transfer of technology and human
resources development).
36 AMM established in 1967. It an annual meeting with ministers and it has both formal / informal meeting and
retreats in between.
37 The ASEAN-Korea Centre was established as an intergovernmental organization with the aim to promote
exchanges among Korea and the ten ASEAN Member States. It was officially inaugurated in 13 March 2009, the
year which marked the 20th anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership between ASEAN and Korea in accordance
with the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at the 11th ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Summit
in November 2007, and entered into force in December 2008(CENTRE, 2016).

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