The 'ASEAN-Korea Forum' was held on the 5th (local time) in Manila, Philippines, to concretize mid- to long-term cooperation plans between Korea and ASEAN. The forum discussed cooperation models across sessions ranging from education, youth, and culture to economy, digital, and security, centered on the CSP (Contributor, Springboard, Partner) vision proposed by the Korean government. Specific implementation tasks were suggested, including the 'ASEAN-11' system incorporating Timor-Leste, expanding human exchanges to 15 million people, establishing a trade base of USD 300 billion, and jointly responding to transnational crime.

The forum was organized by Geopolitics Insight in collaboration with the Korea University ASEAN Center, Stratbase Institute in the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines Korea Research Center. Attendees included the Chair of the Philippine House Foreign Affairs Committee, senior officials from the National Security Council (NSC), deputy ministers from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassadors from ASEAN member countries, public institution representatives, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and experts from major research institutions. They discussed the step-by-step implementation direction of the CSP vision. During the opening ceremony, both delegations emphasized the importance of preparing an execution system and specific implementation plans to further deepen and develop the ASEAN-Korea relationship, which has been elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, through the CSP vision.

The first session, 'Contributor for Dreams and Hope,' focused on socio-cultural cooperation centered on education, culture, and youth exchanges. Presenters pointed out the need for an institutional foundation to expand the scale of human movement and proposed the CSP Youth Scholarship Program, cooperation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and the expansion of student exchange programs. The possibility of cooperation within the 'ASEAN-11' system, considering Timor-Leste's formal accession to ASEAN, was also discussed. The Korea Foundation (KF) explained that the recent cooperation structure is expanding from an economic focus to a people-centered approach, emphasizing the importance of cultural community programs, youth leadership platforms, and digital-based cultural cooperation.

The second session, 'Springboard for Growth and Innovation,' addressed economic and industrial cooperation strategies. Presenters emphasized the need to strengthen joint industrial competitiveness between Korea and ASEAN to respond to the reorganization of global supply chains and the pace of digital transformation. Officials from the ASEAN Secretariat and ADB presented priority tasks such as financial cooperation for green transition, the establishment of smart logistics networks, and cooperation in digital government (e-Government). They also mentioned the need for institutional cooperation to expand the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) connection and establish a USD 300 billion trade base.

The third session, 'Partner for Peace and Stability,' discussed cooperation in the political and security fields. Participants presented key tasks such as maritime safety, response to transnational crime, cyber security, and multilateral cooperation within the Indo-Pacific region. They evaluated the trend of security cooperation based on trust between Korea and ASEAN and proposed the regularization of information-sharing systems and non-military cooperation. Discussions also continued on establishing a cooperation system between Korean police agencies and ASEANAPOL.

The organizers stated, "This forum was the first step in a meeting to derive specific implementation tasks for realizing the CSP vision," and "we plan to enhance execution by continuing regular dialogues and joint research based on the cooperation models proposed in each session." Participants concluded the forum by agreeing on the need to expand follow-up cooperation channels.

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