ASEAN and Korea established sectoral dialogue relations in 1989 and Korea was accorded full Dialogue Partner status by ASEAN in 1991. This relationship was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) at the 25th ASEAN-ROK Summit to Commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Dialogue Relations in October 2024.

Today, Korea is ASEAN’s 5th largest trading partner and 7th largest source of foreign direct investments with trade amounting to USD 208 billion and foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow from ROK to ASEAN standing at USD 7.5 billion in 2024.