Kuala lumpur: President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Malaysia on Sunday to attend this year's Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit meetings, aiming to forge deeper ties with the regional bloc and strengthen cooperation against online scams and other transnational crimes. Lee, who is on his first visit to Southeast Asia since taking office in June, is set to meet with Korean residents in Kuala Lumpur later in the day during his two-day trip.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee will participate in the ASEAN summit on Monday, where he plans to discuss ways to advance South Korea's comprehensive strategic partnership with the 10-member bloc. He also intends to outline his vision for strengthening cooperation in artificial intelligence, discuss joint responses to online scam crimes, and seek ASEAN's support for his peace vision on the Korean Peninsula, as stated by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac.
Lee will then join the ASEAN Plus Three summit involving South Korea, Japan, and China to promote broader regional cooperation. During this summit, he is expected to hold his first in-person meetings with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Additionally, Lee is scheduled to meet with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet to discuss bilateral ties and ongoing efforts to combat rising cases of online scams targeting South Koreans, in light of the recent torture and death of a college student lured to Cambodia.
Furthermore, Lee plans to hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to explore ways to deepen economic cooperation before returning home late Monday. His trip marks the beginning of a series of diplomatic events this week as South Korea prepares to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and economic-related events in Gyeongju.
This year's gathering is attracting significant attention as U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold a high-stakes summit amid intensifying trade tensions between the world's two largest economies. On the sidelines, Lee is scheduled to meet Trump for a second in-person summit on Wednesday and hold his first summit with Xi on Saturday, with both leaders making state visits to South Korea, according to the presidential office.