외교부

Opening Remarks

By H.E. Kim Hong-kyun

Deputy Minister for Political Affairs

The 13^th East Asia Forum

May 20, 2015

Permanent Secretary Dato Erywan Yusof,

Deputy Minister Tin Oo Lwin,

Director-General Dato Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob,

Director-General I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja,

Excellencies,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to welcome all of you to the 13^th East Asia Forum. I am truly delighted to see you

here in this beautiful island of Jeju.

Back in 2003, the EAF was launched under the vision of building an East Asian Community. Since then, it has served as a platform for discussion on enhancing cooperation and regional integration in a wide range of sectors. The EAF is singular in that it brings together representatives from the government, as well as business and academic circles, to engage in issues related to peace and prosperity in the region.

Regional integration efforts to build an East Asian Community have been made in different forums, including the ASEAN+3, EAS, and APEC. Most notably, it has been ASEAN that has played a central role. Such integration efforts within ASEAN have led to the conclusion of the Korea-ASEAN bilateral FTA, negotiations of the ROK-China-Japan FTA and RCEP, and have also given momentum to discussions on the TPP. Meanwhile, socio-cultural exchanges in the region have increased rapidly through education and tourism. As a result, regional identity and sense of community have grown deeper.

However, it was in the 1990s, in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis, that discussions about the East Asian Community were most active. At that time, the region transformed crisis into opportunity and strengthened cooperation. This experience awakened us to the importance of coming together as a community. It also provided the driving force that gave rise to ASEAN+3, which became highly institutionalized and grew into the main vehicle bringing East Asia together.

Nevertheless, there is still some lingering skepticism that the launch of the East Asia Community is simply wishful thinking and mere rhetoric. The shift in regional power dynamics, historical and territorial issues, and North Korea’s continued provocations are all factors contributing to the rift and conflict in the region. As a result, the East Asia region is experiencing what we call the ‘Asia Paradox’, a disconnect in regional cooperation despite growing economic interdependence. This situation is most evident in Northeast Asia, but it is also negatively impacting the entire East Asian region. To witness such a contrast is unfortunate, especially when considering the region’s dynamism and potential.

To break out of the ‘Asia Paradox’, the Korean government will continue make efforts toward consolidating the foundation of trust and cooperation.

To this end, my government has proposed the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation Initiative as part of its Trustpolitik policy. Nuclear safety, energy security, and disaster management are some areas where we can first build the practice of cooperation and trust. I hope that the trust building process in Asia—the process of turning trust deficit into trust surplus—will build momentum toward the construction of East Asian Community.

Ladies and gentlemen,

One century ago, Europe was a continent facing severe discord. Now, the region thrives amidst an entirely different backdrop, coming together as one through the European Union and using its power and influence for the sake of global peace. The EU came into inception in 1993, after the European Coal and Steel Community revved up the engine for economic integration, and the Conference on Security and Cooperation pushed ahead for a stable postwar order.

Likewise, ASEAN, which was created in 1967 under the ASEAN Declaration, is looking forward to the launch its own community this year. By pursuing harmony and cooperation despite differences, ASEAN Member States have been able to foster peace and prosperity in the region for the last 50 years.

These examples of success in Europe and Asia have taught us a very valuable lesson on the importance of sharing a long-term vision of regional community and following through with unwavering commitment.

Now is the time to reaffirm our vision of launching a community which encompasses all of Southeast and Northeast Asia. We must continue to see the bigger picture and work towards realizing this vision. By further developing our regional cooperation, we can gradually resolve the trust deficit issue, establish a sense of community, and be one step closer to achieving a peaceful and prosperous East Asian Community.

In this context, I would like to direct our attention to transnational non-traditional security threats. We have seen that no country is safe from such threats as ISIL and the spread of Ebola. As such, whether we can work together to tackle these common challenges will be an indication of our commitment to building an East Asian Community.

As the level of connectivity and interdependency rise, our vulnerability to non-traditional security threats also increases. The fact that more than any other region, our interdependence is accelerating at an unprecedented pace means that there is an acute and growing need for cooperation on non-traditional security issues in our region.

Furthermore, such cooperation does not have to come at a political cost, while its benefits can be widely shared. This increases the likelihood of tangible progress being made in the sphere of non-traditional security cooperation. In this vein, the theme of this year’s East Asia Forum, ‘Prosperous East Asia through Non-Traditional Security Cooperation’ is especially timely and meaningful to us all.

I am confident that productive discussions on non-traditional security issues and regional cooperation over the next two days will contribute to building momentum for the launch of an East Asian Community. With your wisdom and experience, I look forward to many creative and practical ideas that will emerge from our discussions.

In closing, I would like to express my deep gratitude to the organizers of the Jeju Forum for their hospitality, and for helping convene the East Asia Forum in conjunction with this year’s Jeju Forum. Thank you.         /END/