On 30th January 2024, a meeting took place between the Embassy of Korea in Malaysia and the ASEANAPOL Secretariat, aimed to collaborate and addressing the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies, particularly the strategies for capacity building and to jointly improve law enforcement joint initiatives and providing training for law enforcement officers between Korea and ASEANAPOL.
Korean delegates were represented by Mr. Han Daehoon, Consul & Police Attache, Korea, while the ASEANAPOL Secretariat (AS) representatives included Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan, Executive Director; Police Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huu Ngoc, Director of Plans and Programmes; DSP Chan Yew Hiok, Police Services Officer I; DSP Suresh Subramaniam, Plans and Programmes Officer I, and ASP Nithia Perumal, Police Services Officer II.
The meeting commenced with the Mr. Han congratulating Police Colonel David Martinez Vinluan on his appointment as the Executive Director for ASEANAPOL Secretariat. He continued with providing an introduction of the roles and objectives of the Korean Embassy in Malaysia.
AS Executive Director welcomed the Korean Consul & Police Attache visit to AS office and thanked him for his congratulatory remarks. He also expressed the commitment of AS in extending the working relationship between ASEANAPOL and Korea.
In response, the Korean Consul & Police Attache, raised his concerns on issues pertaining cybercrime and also illicit drug trafficking. He also reaffirmed their interest and their support to provide AS officers with a systematic approach of knowledge and skills development, capacity building and training to keep all law enforcement officials with the latest criminal trends.
The meeting, marked by a spirit of shared purpose highlights the followings:
(1) Discussions centred around the framework for collaboration, ensuring alignment with ASEANAPOL regulations and guidelines;
(2) Both parties expressed strong commitment to future partnerships, acknowledging the potential for joint initiatives between Korea, AS and all members countries (AMCs) and training programmes to significantly improve regional security;
(3) Customised training on cybersecurity, fraudulent travel documents, will be offered to address current criminal trends; and
(4) To solidify bilateral relations, suggestions were raised to hold regular events like biennial International Police Summit or Police Days, fostering closer ties between Korea, AS and AMCs.
The visit solidified the foundation for a robust collaboration between Korea and ASEANAPOL in tackling regional law enforcement challenges, particularly through capacity building, joint initiatives, and targeted training programmes. The proposed events further aim to strengthen bilateral ties and facilitate ongoing knowledge exchange, hold promise for a more secure and collaborative future, ultimately benefitting all involved parties. The meeting concluded on a positive note, with both sides looking forward to continued collaborations and exchanging gifts as a symbol of their partnership.
Motto: “Together We Keep This Region Safe”