Indonesian President Joko Widodo, left, and Indonesian first lady Iriana Widodo arrive at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

Korea advised to expand ties with Southeast Asian countries

By Kang Seung-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol is expected to take advantage of his Indonesian counterpart's visit to Korea in Seoul's pursuit of diplomacy to strengthen ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and promote foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrived here Wednesday night for a two-day trip, during which he will sit down for a summit with Yoon and hold a roundtable with the leaders of Korean business groups.

The presidential office is currently seeking to patch up the nation's existing diplomacy with ASEAN countries, represented by the New Southern Policy initiated by Yoon's predecessor Moon Jae-in, rather than completely reversing the policy.

Earlier this week, a senior official of the presidential office described Widodo's trip as the "full-fledged" beginning of the Yoon administration's diplomacy toward ASEAN countries, adding that it will take shape in the frame of his Indo-Pacific regional strategy, which will be announced within this year.

"Indonesia is a leading country among the ASEAN member nations and in the Indo-Pacific region, so we need to cooperate closely with the country on how to engage in diplomacy with the ASEAN countries and build an Indo-Pacific strategy, while Widodo is here," a diplomatic expert, who is a former diplomat, said on condition of anonymity.

According to the presidential office, Indonesia is the only ASEAN member nation to have a special strategic partnership with Korea, accounting for 41 percent of the bloc's population and 34 percent of its total gross domestic product. In addition, the country is also a member of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) along with South Korea and plays an important role for the stability of supply chains involving core minerals.

"Given that Korea and Indonesia belong to the IPEF, the two leaders can discuss ways to prevent the initiative both from countering China and from turning into a U.S.-led one," the expert said.

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during an emergency economic meeting at a healthcare innovation facility in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap

The New Southern Policy was launched in 2017 to diversify Korea's strategic focus and pursue a more balanced foreign policy, while elevating Korea's relationship with the ASEAN countries to the level of its relations with the four major countries around the Korean Peninsula ― China, Japan, Russia and the United States. It has received rave reviews from the Southeast Asian countries.

Right after the change of administration, speculation was rampant that Moon's policy would be abolished by the Yoon administration in favor of a foreign policy focused beyond Southeast Asia.

Admitting that the new administration may have to rebrand the policy, as it was one of Moon's signature initiatives, the expert said that there is nothing to dump in the New Southern Policy and called instead for upgrading it.

"As Indonesia and other ASEAN countries hope the Korean government will continue the New Southern Policy, we need to assure the Indonesian president that the basic framework and positive aspects of the policy will be kept this time," he said.

"While doing so, the government should find momentum to further strengthen practical cooperation with Indonesia and other Southeast Asian nations."

The presidential office said that the basic framework and positive content of the New Southern Policy will be maintained, adding that it will expand its focus to diplomacy and security beyond only economic and cultural cooperation.