Summit Talks

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in held summit talks with the Sultan of Brunei, and continued his push for promoting Seoul's New Southern Policy initiative. The initiative aims to expand Korea's trade, currently focused on China, with Southeast Asia. In Brunei, President Moon also visited sites of infrastructure construction carried out by Korean businesses.

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Brunei is a country rich in natural resources with exports of crude oil and natural gas accounting for more than half of its gross domestic product. During summit talks with the sultan of the country, Hassanal Bolkiah, President Moon stressed that Brunei is an important partner in Korea's New Southern Policy initiative. In response, the monarch expressed support for the vision and promised to closely cooperate as a mediator of dialogue between Seoul and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN).

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "I thank your support for a successful South Korea-ASEAN summit slated in Korea in November."

[Soundbite] Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah : "I hope to more closely cooperate with President Moon in the future."

The two leaders also agreed to expand bilateral cooperation related to liquefied natural gas in all areas of gas field exploration, production, transport and sales. Moon also visited major infrastructure construction sites in Brunei whose orders were secured by Korean firms, and encouraged workers. The South Korean leader's ongoing tour of ASEAN member nations is his first diplomatic activity since the Pyongyang-Washington summit in Vietnam, but the presidential office said that North Korea issues were not discussed.