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| Participants of the ASEAN-Korea Trade and Investment Roundtable 2023 hold hands during the event at Westin Josun Seoul, Wednesday. ASEAN-Korea Centre Secretary General Kim Hae-yong, fourth from right; Indonesian Ambassador Gandi Sulistiyanto, fourth from left; Ambassador of Lao PDR Songkane Luangmuninthone, third from left; and Korea Institute for International Economic Policy President Kim Heung-chong, third from right, attended the roundtable. Courtesy of ASEAN-Korea Centre |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
The ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) hosted the ASEAN-Korea Trade and Investment Roundtable 2023 in Seoul, Wednesday, in cooperation with the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP).
This year's roundtable centered on the theme of ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy. It discussed the regional strategies of ASEAN and Korea for the Indo-Pacific, with the latest information on economic and trade outlooks and opportunities for economic collaboration between ASEAN and Korea.
The roundtable, established three years ago, has served as a platform for businesspeople and stakeholders from ASEAN and Korea to discuss the practical aspects and benefits of regional agreements such as the ASEAN-Korea Free Trade Agreement (AKFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
AKC Secretary General Kim Hae-yong noted that the roundtable is timely as there is a need for discussions on practical economic cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region based on regional strategies.
"The Roundtable could provide insights for the businesspeople of ASEAN and Korea to discover potential business opportunities, thereby contributing to strengthening the ASEAN-Korea partnership as a whole," Kim said.
Satvinder Singh, deputy secretary general of the ASEAN Economic Community at the ASEAN Secretariat, gave a keynote speech on the economic perspective of AOIP in relation to Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy, while KIEP Economic and Security Department Director Kwak Sung-il presented Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy in the context of AOIP.
In the discussion sessions, experts from the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade, KIEP, ASEAN Secretariat and Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, all shared their opinions and deliberated on ways to create synergy through cooperation in strategic sectors such as digital trade, climate change and supply chains, which are all prioritized by both ASEAN and Korea.
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