The New Southern Policy Plus: Progress and Way Forward
In: http://hdl.handle.net/11540/14748
For the first time in history, the 21st ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK, hereinafter, Korea) Summit was held via videoconference on November 20, 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, the Summit would have been held in the ASEAN Chair country, which in this case was Viet Nam. Key discussion topics during the Summit were largely on the review of the current status of the ASEAN-Korea cooperation and future areas for collaboration. In line with this, President Moon Jae-in announced the 'New Southern Policy Plus (NSP Plus) Strategy', which has turned into another important step forward reinforcing and strengthening the ASEAN-ROK Strategic Partnership. ASEAN leaders indeed welcomed this new initiative and looked forward to the implementation to foster closer cooperation in coming years. To give a brief overview, the NSP Plus lays out the seven key areas of cooperation, focusing on comprehensive public health, human resources, and future industries. Leaders of ASEAN and Korea concluded the Summit by agreeing to work together and take the lead in the post-COVID-19 era through the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF) and its Implementation Plan as well as the NSP Plus Strategy.