By Kang Gahui and Lee Jihae
Photos = Cheong Wa Dae

President Moon Jae-in and Bruneian Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah held a bilateral summit in Seoul on Nov. 24 as part of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-ROK (Republic of Korea) Commemorative Summit in Busan on bolstering practical cooperation in energy and high-tech industries and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"Brunei is pursuing its Vision 2035 to create new growth engines in moving beyond being a resource-rich country," President Moon said.

"If we harmoniously fulfill Vision 2035 and Korea's New Southern Policy, we can expand the horizon of our cooperation to next-generation industries and achieve common prosperity."

The sultan said, "Korea is a crucial and invaluable partner in the region for ASEAN. We will strive to achieve synergy between Brunei's Vision 2035 and Korea's New Southern Policy."

The two leaders agreed to expand bilateral cooperation to industries beyond infrastructure and energy.

President Moon said, "Following the opening of the RIPAS Bridge, a symbol of bilateral cooperation, a Korean corporation is taking part in the construction of the Temburong Bridge, the longest in Brunei."

"The potential for bilateral cooperation is boundless in industries such as information and communications technology (ICT), smart cities, e-government, national defense and the defense industry."

The president added that his administration is striving to make the Demilitarized Zone an international peace zone and to achieve complete denuclearization and permanent peace on the peninsula. Through these efforts, he said, Korea will become a bridge nation that leads peace and prosperity on both land and sea.

The Brunei leader lauded Seoul's efforts to actively lead peace on the peninsula and said he will fully support such efforts.

The two countries also signed three memorandums of understanding on ICT, e-government and smart cities.



kgh89@korea.kr