S Korea, ASEAN launch dialogue in Seoul

SEOUL - The 16th round of talks between South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was launched in Seoul Thursday as the two sides seek to further strengthen their ties, the foreign ministry here said.

The annual dialogue, held alternatively by South Korea and an ASEAN member country, will center around issues of mutual concern including the establishment of the ASEAN-Korea Center and execution of the ASEAN-ROK Special Cooperation Fund.

South Korea's deputy foreign minister Kim Kyu-hyun and his Laotian counterpart Alounkeo Kittikhoun will join the two-day talks, according to the ministry.

Since the dialogue relations were established in 1989, the association has become South Korea's second-largest trade partner, with their two-way trade volume estimated at $12.4 billion as of last year.

They two sides elevated their ties by forging a strategic partnership in 2010.