South Korea's foreign minister and ASEAN secretary-general discuss establishing comprehensive strategic partnership

On the 28th, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol hosted a luncheon to welcome ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hong and pledged to strengthen practical cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN.
According to the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kao is visiting South Korea for a week from the 25th to participate in the 19th Jeju Forum.
"South Korea will steadily advance cooperation with ASEAN, our core partner in promoting freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region," Cho said.
"We will take the opportunity of the 25th ASEAN-ROK Summit scheduled for October this year to announce the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and further strengthen cooperation between the two countries," he said.
He also shared the progress of the Korean government's ASEAN-Korea Solidarity Initiative (KASI), which is in its second year this year, and
He stressed the Korean government's determination to further strengthen ASEAN cooperation. He also called for the ASEAN Secretariat and member countries to take special measures to ensure smooth business operations for Korean companies operating in the ASEAN region.
"I highly appreciate the Korean government's proactive efforts to promote cooperation projects that effectively combine Korea's strengths with the needs of ASEAN through KASI," Kao said.
"We value the importance of cooperation with the ROK in the process of establishing the CSP," he said. "We will continue to deepen cooperation with the ROK in the process of establishing the CSP." Cho said, "North Korea's hostile policies toward the South and its nuclear and missile provocations are increasing tensions.
"ASEAN needs to take a firm stance toward the situation," he said, calling for ASEAN's continued support for South Korea's North Korea policy.