Kuala lumpur: President Lee Jae Myung will embark on a two-day visit to Malaysia to participate in the regional summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as announced by the presidential office on Friday. This marks Lee's inaugural visit to Southeast Asia since assuming office in June.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee is scheduled to leave for Kuala Lumpur on Sunday to engage in the ASEAN summit. During the summit, Lee intends to discuss strategies for enhancing South Korea's Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the 10-member ASEAN bloc, as stated by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac to reporters.
On Monday, Lee will present his vision for bolstering cooperation with the regional bloc at the ASEAN summit and participate in the ASEAN Plus Three summit, which includes South Korea, Japan, and China. The summit will focus on strengthening cooperation in strategic areas such as artificial intelligence and addressing the rising issue of online scams, especially those targeting South Koreans in Southeast Asia.
President Lee has committed to fostering international cooperation to combat transnational crimes, following the tragic incident involving a South Korean college student who was tortured and killed after being lured into a scam center in Cambodia. This incident has caused widespread public outrage.
Additionally, Lee will explore opportunities to establish a "virtuous cycle" of trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Beijing, and Tokyo through the ASEAN forum. He aims to share his vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula and secure the support and constructive contributions of ASEAN members to his initiatives, as highlighted by Wi.
Last month, during the U.N. General Assembly, Lee revealed his vision to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula and improve inter-Korean relations through the "END" initiative, which stands for "exchange," "normalization," and "denuclearization."