This year marks the 10 th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN Committee in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

On April 30, 2012, ASEAN formed the ASEAN Committee consisting of the Embassies of ASEAN member states in Pyongyang in order to promote understanding of ASEAN and to develop the cooperative relations between the DPRK and the ASEAN member states.

For the last ten years since its establishment, the ASEAN Committee in the DPRK has made active efforts to promote mutual trust and understanding between our country and ASEAN as well as its member states and to expand and develop the bilateral relations in several fields of politics, the economy and culture based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, equality and non-interference in internal affairs of others enshrined in the ASEAN Charter.

Particularly, it has annually organized events on the occasions of our major holidays including the Day of the Sun, the Day of the Shining Star and the founding anniversary of the DPRK to express its respect to and reverence for President Kim Il Sung , Chairman Kim Jong Il and the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un and to clarify its stand to make efforts for the development of bilateral relations. It has also made a significant contribution to the substantial development of relations between our country and the ASEAN member states.

Our country joined the ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2000, acceded to the “Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia” in July 2008 and dispatched its ambassador to ASEAN from July 2011. Like this, it has continued to expand and develop the relations with the member states of ASEAN.

During this period of time, mutual visits of many high-level and working delegations were made between the DPRK and the ASEAN member states. In May 2018, a delegation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the DPRK headed by its vice-minister paid an official visit to the ASEAN Secretariat. It held talks with the Secretary General of ASEAN and had a collective meeting with the permanent representatives of member states of ASEAN. During the talk and meeting, it made an in-depth discussion about the practical matters to further strengthen and develop the DPRK-ASEAN relations.

This year, ASEAN is making active efforts to strengthen the solidarity and cooperation among its member states and to steadily enhance its pivotal role even in the face of the complicated regional and international situation under the slogan of “Addressing Challenges Together”.

ASEAN is also increasing cooperation in the anti-epidemic work and redoubling efforts to recover the economy among its member states even in the midst of the global health crisis and economic stagnation. Meanwhile, it is taking steps to develop the regional economy by promoting cooperation and exchanges with its partners.

We remain unchanged in our stand to attach importance to and develop the relations with ASEAN.

In the future, too, we will expand and develop the friendly and cooperative relations with ASEAN onto a higher stage by concerted efforts with its member states. We are convinced that the ASEAN Committee in the DPRK will make an important contribution to the development of DPRK-ASEAN relations in conformity with its mission and role.

Korea-Asia Association