22 May 2015 - Philippine Ambassador to ASEAN Elizabeth P. Buensuceso reiterated the support of the Philippines to the establishment of an ASEAN culture house in South Korea in time for the proposed celebration of ASEAN-South Korea Cultural Exchange Year in 2017.
Ambassador Buensuceso conveyed this during her meeting with South Korea’s new Ambassador to ASEAN Suh Jeong In, who called on her at the Philippine Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta on May 18.
“We can launch it in 2017 during the Philippine chairmanship of ASEAN, which is also the 50th anniversary of ASEAN,” Ambassador Buensuceso told Ambassador Suh Jeong In. “This is a very important initiative of South Korea, which is one of the most active Dialogue Partners of ASEAN in all areas.”
Ambassador Suh Jeong In thanked Ambassador Buensuceso for the Philippine support, saying that the establishment of the ASEAN culture house was his “baby,” a project he proposed when he was Director-General handling ASEAN affairs at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry. He said that the ASEAN culture house will play an important role in promoting tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and South Korea. He added that funding for the ASEAN culture house has been secured and construction of the culture house in Busan is expected to begin soon.
At the ASEAN-South Korea Commemorative Summit on the 25th Anniversary of the ASEAN-South Korea Dialogue Relations in Busan in December 2014, the Leaders of ASEAN and South Korea welcomed “the designation of 2017 as the year of ASEAN-South Korea Cultural Exchange, and appreciated South Korea’s contribution in establishing an “ASEAN culture house” in South Korea to enhance understanding of ASEAN and Southeast Asian culture in South Korea.”
Ambassador Buensuceso and Ambassador Suh Jeong In also agreed to closely coordinate and exchange views on political and security issues, including developments in the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea.
ASEAN and South Korea remain important trading partners. In 2013, two-way trade between ASEAN and South Korea continued to grow and amounted to US$135 billion dollars compared with US$131 billion dollars the previous year. South Korea has maintained its position as the fifth largest trading partner of ASEAN, while ASEAN has become the second largest trade partner of South Korea. The two-way trade volume is expected to increase to US$150 billion dollars by 2015 as committed by the ASEAN-South Korea Leaders at the 14th ASEAN-South Korea Summit in November 2011. The foreign direct investment flow from South Korea to ASEAN has increased tremendously by 105.88% from US$1.9 billion dollars in 2012 to US$3.5 billion dollars in 2013. END