Inaugural Reception for the Secretary General & 

Relaunching of the ASEAN Hall



23 April 2018, ASEAN Hall (8F), ASEAN-Korea Centre

Remarks by H.E. Lee Hyuk, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre

Her Excellency Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Ambassadors of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul,

Excellencies of the diplomatic corps,  

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

Good evening and welcome to the ASEAN-Korea Centre.

I would like to thank you all for congratulating me on my inauguration as Secretary-General of the Centre and the relaunching of the ASEAN Hall.

My special gratitude goes to Her Excellency Minister Kang and the ASEAN ambassadors for giving me the opportunity to head this body.

Let me also pay tribute to my predecessors as well asboth the Korean and ASEAN staff of this Centre for their devotion anddedication to make the Centre what it is today -- an impressive and renowned intergovernmental organization.

I fondly recall the days when I was part of the team preparing to open this Centre ten years ago. Since then, ASEAN-Korea relations have been upgraded to a "Strategic Partnership" in 2010, we opened a Permanent Representative to ASEAN in 2012, and last year we also witnessed the historic opening of the ASEAN Culture House in Busan. Indeed, we have made remarkable progress and I cannot help being amazed by the phenomenal achievements that have been made between ASEAN and Korea.

The two sides have seen drastic increases in trade andinvestment that have been matched by the ever-expanding people-to-people andcultural exchanges, tourism, and increasing sense of community among ourpeoples.

Peoples of ASEAN member states and Korea have now become indispensable partners, close friends and good neighbors.

In fact, the "New Southern Policy", which makes up an important part of Korea's foreign policy, is testament to the growing necessity to formulate and implement Korea's policy towards ASEAN at the time of dynamic and ever-widening cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and Korea.

"Connecting People, Sharing Prosperity," is the Center's catchphrase for this year which goes perfectly hand-in-hand with the 3 pillars of the New Southern Policy -- People, Prosperity and Peace.

With this collective theme, the ASEAN-Korea Centre will be ambitious, pragmatic and result-driven at the same time in pursuing fourgoals: Prosperity and Industry 4.0, Sustainable Development, People-Centered Community-Building, and People-to-People Exchange.

Needless to say, it takes a collective effort among each and every stakeholder, the Governments, public and private sectors, civilsociety, media, academia, people, and the ASEAN-Korea Centre to elevate this thriving partnership between ASEAN and Korea to a new level.

Distinguished guests,

Here in this hall, we are all Koreans. 

And we are all ASEANERs as well.

With this spirit of togetherness, I once again would like to ask for your strong support and active participation in the centre’s quest for a dynamic, flourishing and lasting partnership and friendship between ASEAN and Korea.

Thank you.

Salamat po.

Xin cam on.