FORMER SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT KIM DAE-JUNG  DELIVERS KEYNOTE ADDRESS DURING ASEAN’S 40^TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION; PHILIPPINES TAKES LEAD IN WORKING GROUP

10 September 2007—Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Susan O. Castrence reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that former South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung delivered the keynote address in a seminar organized by the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS) to commemorate the 40^th Anniversary of ASEAN at the Millennium Seoul Hilton on 27 August 2007.

Kim, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his prominent role in pursuing peace and security in the peninsula, emphasized during the two-hour Seminar the leadership position that ASEAN can play in the region as the world transitions “from the Atlantic era to the Pacific (era).”  

The Seminar, which was attended by around 100 representatives from the South Korean Government, the private sector, the academe and the media, was organized by the ACS to promote ASEAN in South Korea , review its milestones and chart its future direction.  It had the theme “ASEAN-ROK at the Heart of Dynamic Asia.” The Philippines took a leading role in organizing the activities as the Chair of the Working Group on the Seminar.  

Kim’s keynote address was entitled “Regional Cooperation of East Asia and ASEAN.” Other speakers were Lee Kyung-Soo, Director-General for South Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who spoke on the topic “Towards a New Chapter of ROK-ASEAN Cooperation and Community-Building in East Asia”; and Prof. Park Sa-myung, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Korean Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, who expounded on the subject “ASEAN-ROK Solidarity for East Asia.”  

“The Philippines is proud to be among the founding members of ASEAN, which has evolved from a small community of five nations to a dynamic organization comprising one of the fastest-growing regional blocs in the world,” said Castrence. “That we are celebrating it in South Korea , a Plus Three Dialogue Partner, holds special significance in view of the strong ties and shared stake that have come to shape the political and economic landscape in the region,” she added.  

The Seminar was followed by a Reception attended by more than 350 invited guests who have interest in the region, as well as members of the diplomatic corps. The Reception featured dishes from Southeast Asian nations, including the well-received Philippine chicken adobo, which the Millennium Seoul Hilton prepared.  

The ASEAN Committee in Seoul received the support of three leading Korean companies, namely Samsung Electronics, GS Engineering & Construction, and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Company, Ltd.  

ASEAN first established sectoral dialogue relations with the Republic of Korea in 1989, later on elevating the relations to a full Dialogue Partnership. The Republic of Korea also actively participates in other ASEAN mechanisms such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Plus Three Dialogue and the East Asia Summit.  

The ACS is composed of the Heads of Missions of the ten ASEAN member-countries in South Korea . END

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