By Nurunnasihah Ahmad Rashid
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 (Bernama) — Southeast Asian economies and South Korea (ROK) must move their partnership beyond traditional economic indicators and focus on long-term strategic autonomy and digital resilience.
The 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) and related meetings this week provide a valuable opportunity for ASEAN and South Korea to deepen both economic and strategic cooperation, a Malaysian security and diplomacy expert said.
Dr Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin, affiliated with Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) Centre for Media and Information Warfare Studies, said any expansion of ASEAN–ROK cooperation should remain rooted in ASEAN’s core principles of sovereignty, non-segregation and balanced development across member states.
“ASEAN must not compromise its autonomy in the name of deeper cooperation.
“All strategic engagements must align with ASEAN’s frameworks—political-security, socio-cultural and economic communities—without weakening its institutional identity,” he told Bernama, alluding to the challenges posed by current global dynamics.
Noor Nirwandy highlighted the importance of addressing human security gaps within lower-tier ASEAN economies, particularly in areas such as education parity, food security and environmental awareness.
He said South Korea has a role to play in transferring knowledge and ethical values that uplift vulnerable populations through co-development programmes.
“The ASEAN non-segregation policy must be upheld. Partnerships should ensure that prosperity, digital literacy and health awareness reach the regional average across all member states,” he added.
He emphasised that ASEAN’s image, visibility and centrality must be safeguarded to prevent external manipulation or fragmentation.
“ASEAN should present itself as a new middle-power bloc capable of engaging all major partners, including South Korea, on equal terms,” he noted.
On regional security, Noor Nirwandy called on Seoul to intensify support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and refrain from unilateral strategies that bypass ASEAN mechanisms.
The AOIP is ASEAN’s strategic framework to promote peace, stability and inclusive cooperation in the Indo-Pacific based on ASEAN centrality and international law.
“South Korea must use its Indo-Pacific strategy to support ASEAN-led rule-of-law approaches, not replace them. The stability of the region depends on ASEAN remaining a stabilising force in the face of geopolitical rivalries,” he said.
Tackling modern digital threats
Looking ahead, he urged ASEAN and South Korea to establish joint institutions to tackle modern digital threats, including a permanent ASEAN forum of experts on cybersecurity, disinformation and digital trust, supported by both public and private sectors.
“Strategic communication, fact-check systems and media literacy training must be institutionalised to resist information warfare. Only then can ASEAN and South Korea build durable trust and secure digital infrastructure,” he said.
Noor Nirwandy added that co-training initiatives involving governments, civil society and the private sector could position ASEAN–ROK cooperation as a global model for countering hybrid security threats.
— BERNAMA
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