Organizer: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

Type/Location: Hybrid / Singapore

Description:

ASEAN and the Republic of Korea (ROK) elevated their partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) – the highest level of relationship that ASEAN establishes with its dialogue partners – in 2024. Over the past three decades, ASEAN-ROK cooperation has progressively deepened, adapting to a rapidly changing regional landscape marked by geopolitical uncertainty and economic volatility. Current global tensions, including ongoing conflict in Europe, persistent instability in the Middle East, renewed tensions on the Korean Peninsula, and heightened economic pressures from protectionist policies, notably tariffs imposed under the second Trump administration, underscore the urgency for enhanced cooperation between ASEAN and the ROK. In this shifting and uncertain environment, it is crucial for ASEAN and the ROK to reassess how they can jointly safeguard regional stability, economic resilience, and multilateralism.

The seminar, jointly organised by the ASEAN Studies Centre at the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and the ROK Embassy in Singapore, will bring together scholars and policymakers from Southeast Asia and the ROK to examine how the ASEAN-ROK partnership can be strengthened and future-proofed. Panellists will discuss best practices to navigate regional and global volatility, and chart forward the ASEAN-ROK actionable cooperation in climate and energy resilience, economic connectivity, and societal engagement.

The Seminar will be held in hybrid mode.

Click here for the program details.

About the speakers:

Ha Daegoog (Diego) is Director of the ASEAN Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. From 2022 to 2025, he served as a Counsellor at the ROK Embassy in Myanmar. Prior to that, he worked at the ROK Embassy in Singapore. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Spain, an LLM from the Penn Law, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Korea Development Institute.

Dr. Hoo Chiew Ping is Co-Founder and Senior Fellow of the East Asian International Relations (EAIR) Caucus, based in Malaysia. Her research focuses on the Korean peninsula security and Southeast Asia’s response to external powers’ influence. She has held previous positions at the National University of Malaysia and the Malaysian Armed Forces Defence College, and fellowships from the World Economic Forum, Institute of Strategic and International Studies, Academy of Korean Studies, and Seoul National University. Dr Hoo received her PhD in Politics and International Relations from La Trobe University, Australia.

Professor Pongphisoot Busbarat is Assistant Dean at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He also serves as Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS Thailand). Dr Busbarat represents Thailand in the ASEAN Regional Forum Experts and Eminent Persons (ARF EEPs). His main research examines great power competition in Southeast Asia especially in the Mekong Subregion. Thailand’s foreign policy, and the influence of domestic politics, political culture, and identity on state behaviour. He holds a PhD from the Australian National University and postgraduate degrees from Columbia University and Cambridge University.

Dr. Christopher Len is Visiting Senior Fellow and Acting Coordinator of the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. His current research focuses on international energy politics, with a particular emphasis on Southeast Asia’s energy transition, sustainable development, and the implications of climate change. Dr Len holds a PhD from the University of Dundee and degrees from the University of Edinburgh and Uppsala University.

Dr. Jieun Choi is an economist specialising in growth, trade, productivity, and technology policies and regulations for business. She currently serves as Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Digital Global Practice, focusing on the digital economy, AI, data regulation and digital trade, the future of jobs, and global value chains and market structure for ICT infrastructure. Dr Choi has worked with governments, international organisations, and the private sector on policies and projects aimed at promoting growth, trade, and employment across Asia, Europe, and Africa. She was a member of the Presidential Policy Committee in South Korea and an adjunct professor at Seoul National University. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals and books on economic and developmental issues. Dr Choi holds a DPhil from Oxford University and a Master’s (MPA/ID) from Harvard Kennedy School.

Dr. Ratih Indraswari is an assistant professor in the International Relations Department at Parahyangan Catholic University (UNPAR), Indonesia. She holds a doctoral degree in Political Science and International Relations from Ewha Womans University, South Korea, supported by the ROK-ASEAN scholarship under the HEAT (Higher Education ASEAN Talents) program. She was an active member of the Council of ASEAN Professors in Korea (CAPK), and her current research interests focus on the dynamics of ROK-ASEAN relations.

About the Moderators

Joanne Lin is the Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the ASEAN Studies Centre, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. She has over 20 years of work experience in the Singapore public sector, regional and international organisations, think tanks, and NGOs. She has previously served at the ASEAN Secretariat from 2015 to 2021 and was the Head of the External Relations Division under the ASEAN Political-Security Community Department. Her research includes ASEAN institutions, external relations, and political-security developments in ASEAN.

Kristina Fong is currently the Lead Researcher (Economic Affairs) of ASEAN Studies Centre. Prior to her current role, she has held various positions in both the private sector and multilateral organisations, as an economist and public policy specialist. At ISEAS, her research focus centres on regional economic integration developments and digital economy policy. Kristina holds a BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Master’s in Economics from the University of Malaya.

Registration:

To attend the event in person, please register here.

To attend the event online, please register here.