As major countries compete to deepen ties with ASEAN, the ASEAN Plus One (ASEAN+1) cooperation mechanism is poised to gain further momentum. In 2021, Australia and China established Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships (CSPs) with ASEAN, followed by the U.S. and India upgrading their relationships to CSPs in 2022, with Japan following suit in 2023. In 2024, South Korea also formalized a CSP with ASEAN, marking the 35th anniversary of the ASEAN-ROK dialogue partnership. Amid mounting challenges to ASEAN centrality arising from U.S.-China rivalry, ASEAN is likely to leverage the ASEAN+1 mechanism to attract greater engagement and cooperation from dialogue partners across the Southeast Asian region. Against this backdrop, this study aims to examine ASEAN’s dialogue partnership mechanisms and evaluate South Korea’s role within this framework. Through a comparative analysis of major dialogue partners’ cooperation initiatives and a perception survey of ASEAN experts regarding the ASEAN-ROK partnership, this study seeks to provide insights into enhancing South Korea’s engagement with ASEAN.

Chapter 2 explores how ASEAN manages its relationships with dialogue partners, highlighting the strategic objectives of its dialogue partnership mechanisms and their integration into ASEAN’s broader external relations strategy. The findings underscore ASEAN’s efforts to establish unified guidelines for managing dialogue partner relationships and apply them consistently across all partners. ASEAN develops cooperation agendas tailored to its specific needs and ensures that dialogue partners adhere to protocols established by ASEAN during negotiations. For ASEAN, the ASEAN+1 mechanism is prioritized not only for its efficiency but also as a means of safeguarding ASEAN’s central role in the region. It also serves as a tool to maintain a dynamic equilibrium, preventing any single dialogue partner from gaining excessive influence. These characteristics provide a clearer understanding of how ASEAN-led regional multilateralism functions and the recent increase in the number of CSPs established with ASEAN. In addition, ASEAN emphasizes openness-avoiding exclusion or discrimination against specific partners-as a core value in its dialogue partnership. It also requires dialogue partners to adhere to its self-defined procedural and substantive norms, collectively known as the “ASEAN Way.” These cooperation mechanisms reflect ASEAN’s dual objectives of preserving its centrality and maintaining autonomy in its external engagements.

Building on ASEAN’s emerging cooperation needs, Chapter 3 examines how ASEAN’s major partners advance their ASEAN+1 cooperation under the CSP framework. The analysis focuses on the U.S. and Australia’s tendency to prioritize ASEAN’s institutional capacity for community development. Both countries also focus on deepening collaboration in specific, targeted areas rather than pursuing broad, wide-ranging initiatives. In contrast, China channels substantial financial investments into fostering cooperation that directly serves its economic interests while carefully managing security issues with ASEAN. Japan adopts a blended approach, integrating elements of the U.S., Australian, and Chinese strategies. It supports institutional development for ASEAN’s community-building efforts and provides significant financial assistance, while distinguishing itself from China by promoting quality infrastructure. South Korea primarily directs its efforts toward economic cooperation but allocates fewer financial resources than China or Japan. Its initiatives are largely concentrated on bilateral projects that highlight its contributions, with less emphasis on strengthening ASEAN’s institutional capacity. Unlike the U.S. and Australia, which prioritize resource efficiency through targeted initiatives, South Korea takes a broader approach, engaging across multiple fields. While this approach showcases versatility, the lack of signature projects or standout initiatives that distinctly elevate South Korea’s visibility diminishes its overall impact. This underscores the need for a more strategic and systematic approach to ASEAN-ROK cooperation, from a long-term perspective.

Chapter 4 presents the results of a survey of ASEAN experts on dialogue partnerships and ASEAN-ROK relations, along with their key implications. The survey reveals that ASEAN places the highest value on economic cooperation and favors dialogue partners that implement programs aligned with its priorities. Japan (27.9%), Australia (17.8%), the U.S. (16.2%), China (10.3%), and South Korea (9.0%) were ranked as the most reliable partners for promoting regional peace and prosperity. While South Korea’s position behind Japan, the U.S., and China aligns with its relative economic scale and influence, its lower ranking compared to Australia—a fellow middle power with smaller financial contributions to ASEAN— highlights opportunities for improvement. South Korea could gain valuable insights from Australia’s cooperation model to maximize its impact and recognition across ASEAN. Meanwhile, South Korea’s strengths as a dialogue partner are most evident in economic cooperation, with 54.3% of survey respondents highlighting this area. However, respondents identified a “lack of strategic interest beyond the Korean Peninsula” and “overly cautious approaches to regional security issues” as key weaknesses, highlighting limitations in South Korea’s perceived reliability as a political-security partner. The top five most active areas of South Korea’s cooperation were recognized as trade and investment (19.6%), culture (15.4%), science, technology, and innovation (15.2%), education and capacity building (15.0%), and ICT and the digital economy (14.7%). These areas represent the fields where South Korea has actively focused its cooperation with ASEAN, garnering positive evaluations for its contributions to economic collaboration, cultural soft power, technological innovation, human resource development, and support for digital transformation.

Based on the findings from Chapters 2–4, Chapter 5 provides policy recommendations for South Korea to advance the CSP with ASEAN. First, South Korea should make greater efforts to work closely with the ASEAN Secretariat and support its capacity-building efforts in community-building. While the U.S., Australia, and Japan actively seek to incorporate input from ASEAN officials when identifying cooperative projects, South Korea has tended to propose its own initiatives aligned with ASEAN’s specific needs. Although these projects do address ASEAN’s priorities and are often practical and efficient in execution, this approach could lessen ASEAN’s sense of ownership over the initiatives. This perception may lead to South Korea being viewed more as a partner focused on delivering outcomes, rather than one genuinely dedicated to working collaboratively with ASEAN in planning cooperation projects. To address this, South Korea should actively collaborate with the ASEAN Secretariat to ensure its input is reflected in the selection and development of cooperative projects. Strengthening communication with the ASEAN Secretariat will also help South Korea better identify ASEAN’s most pressing needs. Additionally, prioritizing support for institutional foundations and capacity-building within the ASEAN Secretariat will strengthen ASEAN’s ability to drive its community-building efforts effectively. These measures will not only enhance ASEAN’s ownership of cooperation projects but also elevate South Korea’s standing as a key and trusted partner in the region.

Second, in formulating a new plan of action (POA 2026–2030) for the ASEAN-ROK CSP, South Korea should focus on developing a strategic framework that aligns with ASEAN’s needs while capitalizing on Korea’s competitive strengths, rather than simply expanding the number of projects across various fields. Limited resources should be concentrated on signature areas of cooperation where South Korea can make the most impactful contributions. Promising areas include digital transformation, science and technology, culture, and cybersecurity. Furthermore, South Korea should identify niche areas with high ASEAN demand and minimal involvement from other dialogue partners. An effective strategy could involve enhancing support for integrating and creating synergies across cross-cutting issues within ASEAN’s three communities. This approach would greatly enhance ASEAN’s ability to address complex, multifaceted challenges in a cohesive and effective manner.

Third, to deepen the CSP relationship, South Korea must establish itself as a comprehensive strategic partner by building trust and demonstrating its commitment to ASEAN’s broader priorities. Achieving this requires consistency and continuity in ASEAN policies, as well as strengthened institutional mechanisms through enhanced high-level and working-level consultations. Regular monitoring of the implementation of summit and ministerial outcomes is also critical. Additionally, South Korea should expand its engagement in the security sector, where its presence is perceived as weakest among ASEAN’s three communities. South Korea can contribute to strengthening the functions of ASEAN-led multilateral platforms, by taking the lead on specific agendas where it has expertise, including transnational crime, cybersecurity and defense industry.

국문요약

제1장 서론
1. 연구 배경과 목적
2. 연구 범위와 방법
3. 연구 구성과 한계

제2장 아세안의 대외관계 기조와 작동 방식: 대화상대국 관계를 중심으로
1. 아세안 회원국들의 공동목표와 대외관계 기조
2. 아세안의 대외관계 메커니즘
3. 소결 및 함의

제3장 아세안과 CSP 파트너 간의 협력 관계 분석
1. 아세안의 협력 수요
2. CSP 국가들의 대아세안 협력 현황과 특징
3. 소결: 주요국의 대아세안 협력 특징 평가

제4장 아세안의 대화관계 인식과 한-아세안 관계 평가
1. 설문조사 개요 및 설계
2. 설문조사 결과
3. 소결: 한-아세안 관계에 대한 아세안의 평가와 함의

제5장 한-아세안 협력 고도화를 위한 정책 제언
1. 주요국과의 비교 및 시사점
2. CSP 추진을 위한 정책 제언

참고문헌

부록

Executive Summary