BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN ― President Park Geun - hye on Thursday secured support from the 10 - member Association of Southeast Asian Nations for her initiative to build trust and peace in Northeast Asia . During an “ ASEAN Plus Three ” summit that includes South Korea , China and Japan , Park said her initiative and existing confidence - building mechanisms in Southeast Asia would create a synergic effort for the region ’ s pursuit of an East Asian community . Since her inauguration in February , Park has promoted her drive to help resolve what she calls the “ Asia paradox , ” which refers to the region ’ s deepening economic interdependence and escalating territorial rows and historical animosities . “ There is correlation between Park ’ s peace initiative and ASEAN with trust - building experience , ” Park was quoted as saying by Deputy Foreign Minister Lee Kyung - soo . “ With these two working together , her drive would help promote the forging of an East Asian community . ” Park ’ s initiative seeks to build trust first in non - political areas such as climate change , anti - terrorism and nuclear energy , and then on tougher issues such as security , and ultimately forge multilateral confidence for peace . But there has been some skepticism over the plan . Critics argue that the initiative could overlap with other existing institutions such as the ASEAN Regional Forum , and that more attention should be paid to security issues considering that the region has already made much progress on soft issues including trade . During the ASEAN Plus Three meeting , Park also noted a series of achievements the dialogue has made and stressed the need for stepped - up cooperation to chart the future direction of the forum . The achievements included a regional currency swap deal , called Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization ; the Macroeconomic Research Office , an oversight and decision - making body under the CMIM ; and the Emergency Rice Reserve to fight a possible food crisis . Park also said the vision to launch the region ’ s economic community by 2020 is the right direction the forum should pursue as a future goal . The vision was reported to the 2012 summit . The ASEAN Plus Three was launched in 1997 when Asia was hit by a financial crisis . Since its inception , its members have widened and deepened cooperation in about 20 areas including the finance , agriculture , environment , culture and education . Later in the day , Park also attended the East Asia Summit , which includes Australia , India , New Zealand , the U . S . and Russia . Launched in 2005 , the 18 - member EAS is a forum to discuss more strategic , political and security issues . Like at the ASEAN - related meetings , participants in the EAS supported Seoul ’ s policy toward the unpredictable regime in Pyongyang . Park ’ s policy seeks to build trust with the North through dialogue while maintaining robust deterrence . Adopted a day earlier at the close of the Korea - ASEAN summit , its chairman ’ s statement encouraged Pyongyang to comply with all international agreements against its nuclear development and expressed support for all efforts to achieve the “ complete , verifiable and irreversible denuclearization ” of the peninsula in a peaceful manner . During the EAS session , leaders agreed on the need to bolster joint cooperation on climate change , maritime security in the South China Sea , disaster relief , and food and energy security . On the issue of maritime cooperation , Park said securing peaceful , free maritime navigation in the Asia - Pacific is of great importance . She also condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria as a “ grave war crime . ” In the afternoon , Park flew to Jakarta , Indonesia , for a summit with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono . Throughout ASEAN - related forums here , South Korea and other regional forums focused on bolstering ties with the strategically crucial ASEAN . President Park has emphasized the ASEAN as a partner to share “ trust and happiness ” ― a centerpiece of her statecraft philosophy ― and sought to increase economic and security cooperation . For regional powers , the resource - rich Southeast Asian states are also of great strategic importance as they stretch across the Indian and Pacific Oceans , where the world ’ s most crucial trading and energy supply routes pass , including the vulnerable and congested Strait of Malacca . While stepping up its “ rebalancing ” policy toward and within Asia - Pacific , Washington has also sought to deepen its partnerships with the ASEAN countries including Vietnam , the Philippines , Malaysia and Indonesia . In particular , the U . S . has recently sought to improve ties with the strategically vital Myanmar as the country has stepped up its democratic reform . Myanmar is a crucial point for China as it can link it to the Indian Ocean covering crucial sea lines of communication . China has also launched a flurry of diplomacy with ASEAN states . Its President Xi Jinping visited Indonesia and Malaysia on the occasion of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit earlier this week . Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also met or will meet leaders of Thailand and Vietnam on the occasion of the ASEAN forums . Its Foreign Minister Wang Yi has plans to visit seven ASEAN states including Thailand , Indonesia and Singapore . Japan has also been striving to court the ASEAN . After his inauguration last December , Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided the ASEAN as a destination for his first overseas trip . Within this year , Abe seeks to visit all 10 ASEAN states . By Song Sang - ho , Korea Herald correspondent ( sshluck @ heraldcorp . com ) [ Hot News ] ◆ 朴 대통령 아세안 정상회의 서 도 ' 세일즈 외교 ' 주력 ◆ 미국 새 연준 의장 에 재닛 옐런 현 부의장 ◆ 세계 최초 휘 는 화면 스마트폰 ' 갤럭시 라운드 ' 출시 ◆ " 삼성 , 실리콘밸리 서 인수 대상 업체 물색 " ◆ 따뜻 한 의학 드라마 ' 굿 닥터 ' 시청 률 . .. 더 많 은 기사 보 러 가 기 → [ 코리아 헤럴드 홈페이지 ] [ 트위터 ] [ 페이스북 ] 구독 신청 1588 - 0533