Korea and 10 ASEAN member states meet remotely to discuss ways for co-prosperity:
The 11th ASEAN-ROK Transport Cooperation Forum held under the theme of “Future Directions for ASEAN Sustainable Transport Policies: Coping with Global Challenges Including COVID-19”
Korea and the 10 ASEAN member states gathered in a virtual event on 7 September 2021 to facilitate sustainable and mutually beneficial cooperation in transport as a way of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic and embracing a post-pandemic era.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) for Korea hosted the 11th ASEAN-ROK Transport Cooperation Forum at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, Seoul and streamed the event simultaneously to about 200 remote participants at home and abroad.
Under the vision of strengthening strategic partnership between the two sides, the annual ASEAN-ROK Transport Cooperation Forum has been held since 2010 and has contributed to the establishment of efficient transport systems and enhanced connectivity within the region.
This year’s forum took place under the theme of “Future Directions for ASEAN Sustainable Transport Policies: Coping with Global Challenges Including COVID-19”.
Specifically, the key areas of discussion include how to develop sustainable transport and logistics policies by employing cutting-edge, digital technologies and how to reinforce transport connectivity for shared growth and prosperity.
In his pre-recorded opening remarks, Minister Noh Hyeong Ouk of MOLIT said, “With the sharing and connection of our ideas and experiences, ‘Sustainable Transport’ will become reality in the near future, launching a post-pandemic era with a new paradigm.”
He also added, “I ask all of you to gather insight and wisdom at this forum to create an innovative future for our transport sectors and continue to strengthen our strategic partnership for peace and prosperity.”
This was followed by congratulatory remarks from Mr. Chhieng Pich of Cambodia, chair of the ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM), who also served as the co-chair of the forum.
Mr. Park Jae-Kyung, director general for ASEAN and Southeast Asian Affairs from the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also sent his congratulatory message, via a pre-recorded video.
The keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Oh Jaehak, president of the Korea Transport Institute, under the title of “Enhancing ASEAN-ROK Cooperation in the Era of the Pandemic and Industry 4.0.”
The two main sessions followed and all 11 participating countries took turns making presentations on their national policy responses.
For example, Korea explained its policy efforts to establish logistics systems based on smart technologies, as a key task of its Digital New Deal Initiative. The 10 ASEAN member states also shared their policy efforts currently made in the transport sector in order to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
In line with the 11th ASEAN-ROK Transport Cooperation Forum, MOLIT is also proceeding with a weeklong event starting from September 6, inviting more than 100 working-level ASEAN transport officials for the 2021 Online Human Resources Development (HRD) Programs.
The programs are composed of four courses - railways, logistics, intelligent transport systems (ITS), and land compensation. Each course provides theoretical lectures on the latest technology trends, virtual field visits, and policy development programs to address issues faced by each member state.
Launched in 2011, the annual HRD programs have been held in Korea with goals of building capabilities of ASEAN transport officials and deepening the mutual understanding of transport systems between ASEAN and Korea.
Commenting on this year’s HRD programs, Director General Kim Hun Jung for Policy Planning of MOLIT said, “I hope that the sharing of Korea’s Digital New Deal experience and progress will not only contribute to ASEAN member states’ efforts to overcome the pandemic but also help Korean companies enter the relevant ASEAN markets.”
He also mentioned, “Our ministry plans to provide strong support to develop policy models proposed by program participants into more innovative cooperative projects between ASEAN and Korea.”