ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community and Policy Implications for Korea

This study aims to suggest our comprehensive strategies and sectoral policies to cooperate with ASEAN member countries, with a particular focus on the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC). Since 2017, Korea has been striving to deepen its cooperative relationship with ASEAN to the level of its four traditional major partners ‒ the U.S., China, Japan and Russia ‒ through the New Southern Policy. ASEAN created three communities in 2015 – the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) – also providing a blueprint for each community. In line with ASEAN's people-oriented commitment to improve quality of life, the ASCC can play an important role in achieving ASEAN social integration and promoting sustainable development in the region. When considering ASEAN's needs for cooperation, relevant global agenda and Korea's recent policy stance toward ASEAN, the research areas in this report cover social infrastructure, culture and arts, and sustainable environment. Based on sectoral analysis on the ASCC, we suggest the basic directions and strategies of ASEAN-Korea cooperation.