The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), the Ministry of Personnel Management (MPM) and Seoul Metropolitan Government sent out the 2nd Korea-ASEAN Public Administration Cooperation Corps to Thailand and Myanmar from September 19 through 24.

The delegation, headed by Vice Minister Yoon Jong-in of the Interior and Safety, aimed to share Korea’s development experiences and innovative practices in local autonomy, disaster management, personnel reform and intelligent transport with the ASEAN member states.

* 1st Korea-ASEAN Public Administration Cooperation Corps (November 2017, Cambodia & Indonesia): Six government agencies including MOIS, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport (MOLIT), MPM, National Policy Agency visited Cambodia and Indonesia and promoted cooperation in local government capacity building, intelligent transport, personnel management reform and public security. As follow-ups to the dispatch, Cambodia’s Minister of the Interior visited Korea’s Local Government Officials Development Institute (LOGODI), and a memorandum of understanding on personnel management reform between Korea and Indonesia was signed (MPM). In addition, a master plan and pilot project on intelligent transport in Jakarta is underway (~2023, USD 5.5M, KOICA).

The delegation first visited Bangkok, Thailand on September 20 and held the Korea-Thailand Public Administration Cooperation Forum under the themes of local autonomy, local capacity building, personnel reform and intelligent transport. And, Vice Minister Yoon Jong-in had a bilateral meeting with Secretary General of the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC).

On the 23rd, Vice Minister Yoon moved to Naypyitaw, Myanmar’s capital, and had a bilateral meeting with Myanmar’s Deputy Minister of the Office of the Union Government Tin Myint. During the meeting, Vice Minister Yoon delivered an official invitation letter of the ASEAN-Korea Ministerial Roundtable on Public Service Innovation slated for November 26 in Busan to Minister of the Office of the Union Government Min Thu. And, he suggested ways to foster cooperation in the field of public administration such as local capacity building and disaster management.

On the same day, the Korea-Myanmar Public Administration Cooperation Forum took place under the themes of local autonomy, local capacity building, personnel reform, civil petition services, intelligent transport system and disaster management. Participants shared Korea’s experience in advancing public administration and discussed ways to promote cooperation in each area.
The dispatch of the 2nd Korea-ASEAN Public Administration Cooperation Corps aimed to expand future-oriented Korea-ASEAN relations, formed right after the President’s visits to Thailand and Myanmar, into cooperation in public administration.

The government expects that the delegation’s visit will give more impetus to facilitate Korea-ASEAN cooperation on public administration and help Korean companies to enter into the public administration market of Thailand and Myanmar where cooperation on public governance has been less active than other ASEAN countries.

Vice Minister Yoon noted that “Myanmar and Thailand are Korea’s traditional allies with close economic and cultural cooperation.” “By seeking ways to promote co-development and prosperity in uncharted area of public administration, we will strive to make tangible outcomes of the New Southern Policy,” he added.

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  Vice Minister Chin Yoon Jong-in (left) had a bilateral meeting with Myanmar’s Deputy Union Government Office Minister Tin Myint at Naypyitaw Hilton Hotel, Myanmar on September 23 and discussed ways to foster cooperation in public administration between the two countries.

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  Participants of the Korea-Myanmar Public Administration Cooperation Forum held at Naypyitaw Hilton Hotel, Myanmar on the 23rd took commemorative photos.