Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoonjoo attended the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, July 11, and engaged in discussions on key regional and international issues.

Marking the 20th anniversary of the EAS this year, Vice Minister Park welcomed the initiative of ASEAN Chair Malaysia to adopt the “Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the 20th Anniversary of the East Asia Summit.” He also emphasized that the new ROK government remains committed to strengthening its engagement with ASEAN and will continue to contribute actively to regional mechanisms, including the EAS.

Vice Minister Park also noted that, as this year’s Chair of APEC, the ROK looks forward to communicating with Malaysia to create synergies between the ASEAN-related Summits and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting to be held back-to-back in October. He expressed expectation that this series of meetings will serve as an opportunity to reinforce resilience and prosperity across the region.

Furthermore, Vice Minister Park exchanged views with other participants on regional and global developments, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Myanmar, the South China Sea, the Middle East, and Ukraine.

Regarding the Korean Peninsula, Vice Minister Park stated that the Korean government will continue to make every effort to build lasting peace and prosperity, and to achieve substantial progress on the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. He also underscored the importance of a unified message from the EAS participating countries to support these efforts, calling on North Korea to return to dialogue and take meaningful measures toward the complete denuclearization.

Many participants expressed concern over the DPRK’s continued development of nuclear and missile capabilities, and called for the DPRK’s full compliance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, and its return to dialogue. They also highlighted the importance of efforts to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

On Myanmar, participants expressed concern over the ongoing violence and the worsening humanitarian crisis following the earthquake in April. Participants stressed the need to create conducive conditions, including the cessation of violence, for the holding of free and fair elections. Vice Minister Park welcomed the “ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on an Extended and Expanded Ceasefire in Myanmar” adopted at the ASEAN Summit in May and reaffirmed the ROK’s support for ASEAN’s efforts to facilitate progress in Myanmar. He also noted that the ROK is actively participating in efforts to alleviate the humanitarian situation.

On the South China Sea, many participants highlighted the importance of maintaining peace, stability, and security in the area. Vice Minister Park reiterated the ROK’s position that peace, stability, and a rules‑based order in the South China Sea must be maintained, together with the freedom of navigation and overflight based on international law principles, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

In closing, Vice Minister Park emphasized that, amid the evolving global landscape, the EAS should further strengthen its relevance as a leaders-led strategic forum by promoting candid discussions among participating countries on pressing regional and global challenges. He also expressed the ROK’s intention to actively contribute to enhancing EAS cooperation in addressing emerging challenges such as natural disasters and transnational crimes.

The ROK government will continue to contribute to the successful convening of the 20th East Asia Summit in October, building on the outcomes of the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.