INTRODUCTION

Within the ASEAN plus Three process, the ASEAN–South Korea economic, functional, and political relationships remain the weakest vis-à-vis those of ASEAN, China, and Japan. Both China and Japan have forged their own free trade agreements/comprehensive economic co-operation packages with ASEAN. In contrast, despite an agreement to start free merchandise trade starting in 2006 having been reached, South Korea has yet to complete ongoing talks with ASEAN on free cross-border investment and trade in services.

Political relations between ASEAN and China are also at an all-time high, particularly with the much-diminished Chinese assertiveness on the South China Sea issue. This has been capped by the conclusion of the ASEAN– China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in Phnom Penh on 2 November 2002. Furthermore, Japan has sustained its long history of mutually beneficial economic and political co-operation with ASEAN when it marked the thirtieth year of bilateral relations in 2003. On the other hand, South Korea and ASEAN agreed in 2000 to include an exchange of views on political and security issues in the region in their dialogue.

The gap between ASEAN's relationship with China and Japan on the one hand and South Korea on the other is even more notable in the security field. This is despite the fact that security issues are included in their dialogues. Although ASEAN is concerned about the proliferation of nuclear weapons on the Korean Peninsula, this issue is not as great a priority as the post-11 September 2001 anti-terrorism endeavours. This overarching concern with terrorism is surprising given that the ASEAN states do not conform to the overweening priority given by the United States’ predominantly military response to international terrorism. Nevertheless, ASEAN states have since stepped up their security co-operation with enhanced information and intelligence sharing, among other measures, in order to combat terrorism.