President Moon wraps up ASEAN meetings, meets Abe again for discussions
- 4 years ago
All in all, a productive whistle-stop stay in Bangkok for South Korea's leader.
President Moon Jae-in has wrapped a series of ASEAN-related summit meetings in the Thai capital and returns to Seoul in the coming hours.
Watchers say his most notable achievement in Thailand was creating momentum for fresh new talks between South Korea and Japan through unexpected talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Our Park Hee-jun files this report from Bangkok. President Moon Jae-in returns home Tuesday afternoon after wrapping up his three-day visit to Thailand to attend the ASEAN Plus Three and related regional forums.
And, one of President Moon Jae-in's biggest achievements at the ASEAN summits in Bangkok rekindling the possibility of improving ties between South Korea and Japan after months of tensions centered around trade and their shared history.
During his three days in the southeast Asian country, President Moon held an unexpected 11-minute-long discussion with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - their first official sitdown in 13 months.
The president also proposed high-level dialogue as an option possibly implying the annual trilateral summit involving China will happen in December.
President Moon initiated the talks,... perhaps recognizing the need to improve relations before their military intel-sharing pact known as GSOMIA expires on November 22nd.
On the ASEAN stage, President Moon remained firm in his stance that free trade principles must be protected an indirect criticism of Tokyo's economic retaliation involving export restrictions against tech-related materials needed by South Korean firms.
The president also reaffirmed his determination to achieve lasting peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.
He asked ASEAN to join him in his efforts... describing the stalled Pyeongyang-Washington talks and a third leaders' summit between the two as the biggest obstacles in the process.
The South Korean leader also devoted much of his time and energy garnering the support of Southeast Asian nations for the Korea-ASEAN and Korea-Mekong summits, taking place in Korea's southern city of Busan later this month.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News, Bangkok.
President Moon Jae-in has wrapped a series of ASEAN-related summit meetings in the Thai capital and returns to Seoul in the coming hours.
Watchers say his most notable achievement in Thailand was creating momentum for fresh new talks between South Korea and Japan through unexpected talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Our Park Hee-jun files this report from Bangkok. President Moon Jae-in returns home Tuesday afternoon after wrapping up his three-day visit to Thailand to attend the ASEAN Plus Three and related regional forums.
And, one of President Moon Jae-in's biggest achievements at the ASEAN summits in Bangkok rekindling the possibility of improving ties between South Korea and Japan after months of tensions centered around trade and their shared history.
During his three days in the southeast Asian country, President Moon held an unexpected 11-minute-long discussion with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - their first official sitdown in 13 months.
The president also proposed high-level dialogue as an option possibly implying the annual trilateral summit involving China will happen in December.
President Moon initiated the talks,... perhaps recognizing the need to improve relations before their military intel-sharing pact known as GSOMIA expires on November 22nd.
On the ASEAN stage, President Moon remained firm in his stance that free trade principles must be protected an indirect criticism of Tokyo's economic retaliation involving export restrictions against tech-related materials needed by South Korean firms.
The president also reaffirmed his determination to achieve lasting peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.
He asked ASEAN to join him in his efforts... describing the stalled Pyeongyang-Washington talks and a third leaders' summit between the two as the biggest obstacles in the process.
The South Korean leader also devoted much of his time and energy garnering the support of Southeast Asian nations for the Korea-ASEAN and Korea-Mekong summits, taking place in Korea's southern city of Busan later this month.
Park Hee-jun, Arirang News, Bangkok.