By Oh Seok-min

MANILA, July 23 (Yonhap) -- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called on regional partners Thursday to support South Korea's efforts to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula at an ASEAN-related foreign ministers' meeting.

Cho made the remarks during the 27th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, where he exchanged views with counterparts from the 11 ASEAN member states, Japan and China on ways to advance regional cooperation, according to the foreign ministry.

The meeting was held amid growing concerns over disruptions to global supply chains and energy security risks stemming from the Middle East crisis.

In a sign of tense relations between Japan and China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi skipped the gathering and was represented by Vice Foreign Minister Hua Chunying.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (2nd from R) speaks at the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila on July 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

"The Republic of Korea will continue to make every effort to achieve peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula by resuming dialogue with the DPRK," Cho said in his opening remarks, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"I am grateful for ASEAN Plus Three's unwavering support for these efforts and look forward to further strengthening our cooperation in promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he added.

Since North Korea declared inter-Korean ties as those between "two hostile states" in late 2023, the two Koreas' relations have remained strained. Pyongyang has not responded to Washington's offer for talks while deepening ties with Russia and China.

North Korea also skipped this year's ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) for the second consecutive year, despite the forum being a rare multilateral security dialogue involving major powers such as the United States, China, Japan and Russia.

Cho also called for stronger regional cooperation on food and energy security, warning that disruptions in global commerce had exposed long-standing vulnerabilities and put both areas under severe strain.

"Yet, paradoxically, this crisis also opens a window of opportunity for ASEAN Plus Three to once again demonstrate the value of this mechanism," Cho said, calling for expanding the scope of food security cooperation beyond rice.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (6th from L) poses for a group photo with participants of the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila on July 23, 2026. (Yonhap)

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi stressed the grouping's role in addressing regional and global challenges has become increasingly important.

"We should utilize the potential of the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation framework to address challenges such as energy and food security, aging populations, and disaster prevention and response," Motegi said.

China's Hua said the world has entered a period of "turbulence and transformation," with geopolitical challenges affecting energy and food supply chains as well as regional security and resilience.

Philippine Foreign Minister Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, who chaired the meeting, said the dialogue platform remains highly relevant amid global uncertainty and called for renewed solidarity and collective action.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
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