he Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea held an Indo-Pacific policy forum today in Seoul to discuss measures for Korea-ASEAN cooperation in light of the newly inaugurated U.S. administration by forecasting overall impact on ASEAN, which is not only a key region in the Global South but also home to approximately 40 percent of all Korean companies operating in overseas markets.

Hosted by MOTIE and organized by the Korea University ASEAN Center (KUAC), today’s forum was launched with the participation of ASEAN experts from academia and research institutes to take stock of the Korea-ASEAN economic cooperation outcomes and discuss future cooperation. They also touched on issues like global oversupply and strategic response measures against trade risks.

On launching the ASEAN-ROK Think Tank Dialogue on Economic & Trade Policy (AKTD) during the first quarter of 2025, MOTIE will be utilizing the dialogue as a new Korea-ASEAN trade and economic cooperation channel, while continuing to support the stable business activities of Korean firms in the ASEAN market by closely communicating with relevant governments and industries.