On 9 February 2026, Mr. Suwit Mangkhala, Chargé d’Affaires of the Permanent Mission of Thailand to ASEAN, in Thailand’s capacity as Country Coordinator for ASEAN–ROK Dialogue Relations, delivered congratulatory remarks at the opening session of the 2026 ASEAN–Korea Academic Conference, organised by the Korean Association of Southeast Asian Studies (KASEAS) at Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok, Indonesia. The conference provides a platform for Southeast Asian Studies communities in ASEAN and the Republic of Korea to exchange views, share best practices, and strengthen academic collaboration.

In his remarks, Mr. Suwit highlighted that the conference, convened under the ASEAN–Korea Platform for Great Minds (AKPGM), represents a tangible follow-up to President Lee Jae-myung’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) Vision, particularly the pillar of “Contributor for Dreams and Hope,” which emphasises human capital development, academic cooperation, and enhanced people-to-people connectivity. He underscored the importance of academic dialogue in fostering mutual understanding and encouraged participants to promote creative discourse guided by the complementary CSP enabling approach of Creativity, Sustainability, and Practicality to further advance ASEAN–ROK cooperation.

The ASEAN–Korea Platform for Great Minds was first launched in 1994, with its last meeting held in 2016. After a ten-year hiatus, the platform was revived in 2026 with support from the ASEAN–Korea Cooperation Fund (AKCF), reaffirming the shared commitment of ASEAN and the Republic of Korea to strengthening knowledge exchange and long-term partnership.