On 18 May 2026, His Excellency Dato’ Mohd Zamruni Khalid, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Republic of Korea (ROK), participated in a Joint Courtesy Call on His Excellency Yeo Han-Koo, Minister for Trade of the ROK, alongside fellow ASEAN Ambassadors and representatives in Seoul. The meeting was convened by Thailand in its capacity as Chair of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul (ACS). Indonesia and Timor-Leste were represented by their respective Chargés d’Affaires a.i. The engagement served as an important platform for ASEAN and the ROK to exchange views on the evolving regional and global economic landscape, with particular attention given to the future direction of the ASEAN – Korea Free Trade Area (AKFTA).
During the discussion, ASEAN Member States expressed strong collective support for upgrading the existing AKFTA framework to better reflect present-day economic realities and emerging commercial trends. The Ambassadors and Chargés d’Affaires a.i. underscored the importance of ensuring that the enhanced agreement remains relevant, inclusive and future-oriented by incorporating new areas of cooperation such as the digital economy, green technology, and supply chain resilience. Minister Yeo welcomed the constructive views put forward by ASEAN representatives and reaffirmed the ROK’s commitment to advancing a modernised AKFTA framework capable of serving as a resilient and forward-looking platform for shared prosperity and sustainable economic growth in an increasingly complex global environment.
