Seo Wook: "Myanmar's Democracy Must Be Restored Quickly"

At the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, South Korea and Laos Sign Defense Cooperation MOU

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter]Defense Minister Seo Wook participated in the 8th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) held via video conference, exchanging views on the international security environment and requesting the international community's support for the advancement of the Korean Peninsula peace process.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 17th, the meeting was held the previous day under the chairmanship of the 2nd Defense Minister of Brunei, the ASEAN chair country this year, with defense ministers from the 10 ASEAN countries and 8 other countries including Korea, the United States, China, and Japan participating.

Minister Seo stated in his plenary session presentation that amid the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), fierce strategic competition among countries and non-traditional security threats are intensifying uncertainties in the region.

He proposed, "We must establish the principle of respecting international norms that reflect international law and the universal values of humanity," adding, "To prevent conflicts of interest between countries and mediate disputes, a code of conduct accepted by all countries is necessary." He further said, "The 'ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)' adopted by ASEAN leaders in 2019 provides a good direction for such a code of conduct," and "The Korean government supports the openness, inclusiveness, transparency, and respect for international norms principles presented in the AOIP."

Minister Seo emphasized, "The recent situation in Myanmar must be resolved in a manner that respects universal human values such as human rights and freedom," and "Violence against civilians cannot be justified under any pretext. We hope for the swift restoration of stability, peace, and democracy in Myanmar."

He continued that a firm consensus was reached between the two heads of state at the Korea-US summit in May for the advancement of the Korean Peninsula peace process, and based on this, he requested the international community's support and cooperation for denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Minister Seo held a video conference bilateral meeting with Chansamon Chanyarat, Minister of National Defense of Laos, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen defense cooperation.

Korea and Laos plan to expand cooperation in areas such as mutual personnel exchanges, military education and training, and logistics cooperation going forward.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.