South Korean President to embark on Indonesia, India visit to attend ASEAN, G20 Summits
Sep 05, 2023
Seoul [South Korea], September 5 : South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, on Tuesday, will depart for Indonesia to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit and then will travel to India for the G20 summit, Yonhap News Agency reported.
This will be the second consecutive year that the president will attend both gatherings, underscoring the importance his administration places on boosting cooperation with a region noted for its strategic position in the US-China rivalry and its growing economic potential.
ASEAN comprises Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
On Wednesday, Yoon will attend a South Korea-ASEAN summit and check the current state of practical cooperation between the two sides while also discussing areas of future cooperation, Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters last week, according to Yonhap News Agency.
On the same day he will attend an ASEAN Plus Three summit involving the 10 member states, and South Korea, Japan and China to discuss ways to realize an "East Asian community," and the next day, Thursday, the President will attend the East Asia Summit, a security forum bringing together leaders from the 10 ASEAN states and eight other countries, including South Korea, the US and China.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit (EAS).
On Friday, South Korea's President will travel to New Delhi, India, and attend two sessions of the G20 summit the following day, including one on climate change and the environment, as per Yonhap News Agency.
On Sunday, the last day of his tour, Yoon is scheduled to visit the Raj Ghat memorial with other world leaders. He will then attend the third G20 session under the theme "One Future" to discuss ways South Korea will contribute to building a free, peaceful and prosperous future.
The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States) and the European Union.
India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year with the theme -- ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
