The talks, scheduled from Tuesday through Thursday, mark the sixth round of negotiations since the process resumed in March 2024.
The South Korean delegation is headed by Kwon Hye-jin, the country’s chief trade negotiator from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Malaysia’s team is led by Sumadi Balakrishnan, senior director at the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry.
Officials from both sides say momentum has been building.
Since last August, the two countries have held five formal rounds and several intersessional meetings, culminating in a significant breakthrough last month. The April 8–11 talks closed gaps in 10 key areas, including goods and services trade as well as broader economic cooperation.
This week’s discussions will focus on eight major topics, notably rules of origin, while revisiting earlier negotiations on trade in goods and services. Both nations have now tabled their respective offer lists, laying the groundwork for more detailed bargaining.
The stakes are high for South Korea, which is seeking to strengthen its foothold in Southeast Asia amid shifting trade dynamics in the region.
While April exports to ASEAN countries totaled $94.4 billion — just $14.4 billion shy of exports to China — South Korea’s shipments to ASEAN outpaced those to China in February and March.
“Establishing a bilateral FTA with Malaysia, a promising market within ASEAN, will significantly enhance our companies’ global competitiveness and help mitigate uncertainty,” Kwon said in a statement.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
View more comments