First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo (C) greets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ahead of the ASEAN Plus Three meeting, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 10, 2025. Seated on the right is Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Korea Bizwire) – First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo had brief encounters with the top diplomats of China and Japan in Malaysia on Thursday, marking the first such in-person exchanges between senior diplomats of the three Asian neighbors since the launch of the Lee Jae Myung government.
Park was seen approaching Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, followed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, exchanging handshakes and brief greetings with both ministers ahead of a multilateral meeting involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the three countries.
Although brief, the interaction marked the first face-to-face encounter between a senior South Korean diplomat and the two ministers since the Lee administration took office early last month.
Park was attending a series of ASEAN-hosted high-level meetings this week as the country’s top representative, standing in for the foreign minister whose nomination is under way pending parliamentary confirmation.
Details of their conversations were not immediately known.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo speaks during the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on July 10, 2025, in this photo released by the Bernama news agency. (Yonhap)
In the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) session, Park highlighted the role of the APT framework as a major economic engine, accounting for over 40 percent of global growth.
Taking note of South Korea’s contribution to the various regional initiatives, ranging across financing, food and security, Park expressed hope for continued joint efforts to address shared regional challenges.
Ahead of the APT session, Park attended the South Korea-ASEAN meeting, during which he reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to deepening ties with ASEAN under the Lee government, with an emphasis on sustainable growth and regional cooperation.
Park also used the session to point out South Korea’s efforts to reduce tension on the Korean Peninsula, calling for ASEAN’s continued support in this endeavor.
“The vice minister said the South Korean government will continue efforts to create room for dialogue and diplomacy through tension reduction and confidence-building measures, while seeking meaningful progress toward peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue,” the foreign ministry said in a release.
Park highlighted Seoul’s efforts to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership (CSP) with the 10-member bloc, expressing hope for joint efforts to build a sustainable partnership with ASEAN.
He particularly called for closer collaboration under the plan of action for 2026-30 adopted at the meeting, based on the agreed-upon CSP framework.
“Based on the new Plan of Action (POA), ASEAN and Korea will navigate our way forward to addressing challenges we face together, such as global supply chain uncertainties, climate change and transnational crime, among others,” Park said in the opening remarks.
“The new POA will also serve as a guiding document to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation on future-oriented areas, including AI, digital transition and green transition,” he said.
Park also underscored South Korea’s support for the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, a long-term road map aimed at strengthening economic integration, enhancing regional security and stability, and promoting sustainable development.
(Yonhap)
