By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

First Vice Minister Park Yoon-joo held the "Korea-Thailand Strategic Dialogue" with Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Eksiri Pintaruchi in Seoul on November 26.

Vice Minister Park extended condolences to both sides regarding the death of Queen Sirikit of Thailand (October 24) and the recent human and material damage caused by heavy rains in southern Thailand (including Songkhla).

Vice Minister Eksiri expressed her gratitude and congratulated Korea on the successful hosting of the Gyeongju APEC Summit.

The two vice ministers commended the steady development of bilateral relations since the inauguration of the new governments, including the active high-level exchanges between the two leaders (October 16) and the summit meeting held on the sidelines of the APEC Summit (October 30), as well as the expansion of trade and investment.

Furthermore, the two Vice Ministers agreed to implement the summit's outcomes to advance bilateral relations and actively pursue future-oriented cooperation that can provide practical benefits to the lives of both peoples, including AI and digital innovation.

The two Vice Ministers agreed that Korea and Thailand, as strategic partners, will expand cooperation in the defense and defense industry. They also evaluated bilateral cooperation in combating transnational crimes, such as online scams and drug crimes, and agreed to continue close communication to strengthen international cooperation, including strengthening cooperation with ASEANPOL.

The two Vice Ministers shared the importance of quickly concluding the Korea-Thailand Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), currently under negotiation, to fully realize the potential of bilateral economic cooperation, and pledged to work together to achieve this goal.

Vice Minister Park requested active cooperation to resolve difficulties faced by Korean companies operating in Thailand, such as restrictions on foreign ownership and Thai employment ratio requirements.

Vice Minister Eksiri stated that Thailand prioritizes attracting foreign investment, including from Korea, and would actively consider the issues raised by the Korean side.