President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home Friday from his trip to the Philippines, Singapore and Laos that focused on diplomacy to strengthen ties with Southeast Asian nations and draw support for his policy on North Korea. During the six-day trip, Yoon attended a series of annual summits involving the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Laos on Thursday and Friday, and made state visits to the Philippines and Singapore. It marked Yoon's third consecutive year attending the regional summit, which has grown in strategic significance amid the ongoing geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China. President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrive at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, on Oct. 11, 2024, after a three-nation Southeast Asia trip. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrive at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, on Oct. 11, 2024, after a three-nation Southeast Asia trip. (Yonhap) This year, South Korea and ASEAN upgraded their relations to a "comprehensive strategic partnership," the highest level of relations that ASEAN can forge with a dialogue partner. During his visit to Singapore, South Korea and Singapore signed a supply chain partnership agreement, and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on liquefied natural gas cooperation. In the Philippines, the two countries forged a strategic partnership, marking the first upgrade in their 75 years of diplomatic relations. South Korea pledged around US$2 billion from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund to support key infrastructure projects and signed an MOU on a feasibility study on the long-dormant Bataan nuclear power plant. Source: Yonhap News Agency