Towards sustainable and resilient ASEAN-Korea economic integration 2.0

Abstract

Korea and ASEAN are currently seeing a golden age in their partnership; their trade and investment relations are strengthening rapidly, and ASEAN has become a key player in Korea's diplomacy. However, there are a number of challenges in this relationship, such as Korea's high level of reliance on a single ASEAN member (Vietnam), Korean businesses’ relatively short history in ASEAN, and inconsistencies and ambiguities in Korea's diplomatic approach towards ASEAN. In order to overcome these issues, Korean entities could consider seeking local partners in ASEAN, spotting economic and societal priorities in national and ASEAN development strategies, and taking advantage of ASEAN's intra-regional integration. There are two areas, namely Indonesia's electric vehicle value chain and smart city construction, in which Korea's public and private entities are attempting to gain a foothold by adopting these strategies.