ASEAN- Korea Leaders’ Forum

June 1, 2023Jeju, Korea

Joint Statement (draft)

1. We, the parliamentarians and business leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), participated in the ASEAN- Korea Leaders' Forum held in Jeju, Republic of Korea, on Thursday, June 1, 2023, as a special session of the 18th Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, to discuss the importance of the ASEAN- ROK cooperation and pledge to revitalize exchanges and solidarity.

2. We recognized the need for concerted efforts to respond to crises by building a complementary and cooperative order of solidarity in a “new normal” society that has emerged from the COVID- 19 pandemic, climate change, geopolitical crises, and technological advancements. More specifically, we discussed the ASEAN- ROK cooperation on revitalizing supply chains and sustainable cooperation on climate change.

3. The COVID- 19 pandemic and the recent geopolitical tensions have heightened pressure on global supply chains, and countries such as the United States, members of the European Union, and Japan have adopted the stabilization of supply chains as their national agenda. The restructuring of global supply chains requires countries to exchange their legislative and policy perspectives and options and develop solidarity measures between countries, parliaments and businesses in pursuit of long- lasting peace and shared prosperity in the region. Amid these shifts in the geopolitical and geoeconomic climate, we expressed our commitment towards mutually beneficial cooperation on supply chains and stronger economic security in the region by expanding Korean investment in promising new industries and improving the investment environment.

4. Recognizing the urgent need for drastic reductions in carbon emissions to combat climate change and climate emergency, ASEAN and ROK have been making various efforts to transition toward zero carbon. We underscored the severity of climate change and reaffirmed the importance of sustainable development to overcome climate change. In particular, we 

agreed to effectively achieve the goal of carbon neutrality in the region by seeking ways to promote and share innovative technologies related to new industries in the region and to unleash the potential of new and renewable energy resources and utilize them efficiently. We also emphasized the need to develop effective solidarity strategies so that the process of transition to a low- carbon economy can serve as a growth engine for new industries such as energy, transportation, and construction, as well as a driver of sustainable economic development in the region. 

5. We highly appreciated the initiative for the ASEAN- Korea Leaders' Forum to serve not only as a forum for discussion between ASEAN and ROK but also as a channel for dialogue between parliaments and the business community, thus providing an opportunity for parliaments and the private sector to communicate and understand each other's position and develop common ground.

6. We expressed appreciation for the sincere efforts of H.E. Kim Jin- pyo, Speaker of the Korean National Assembly and the Hon. Oh Young- hoon, Governor of the Jeju Special Self- Governing Province in organizing and hosting the ASEAN- Korea Leaders' Forum. We also expressed our gratitude to the staff of the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity for their assistance in organizing this Forum as a special session.

7. We look forward to the continuity of the ASEAN- Korea Leaders' Forum, which will enable ASEAN and ROK to recognize each other’s strategic importance, pledge to achieve shared prosperity, and identify mutually beneficial ways of cooperation based on inclusion and trust.