(LEAD) Deputy FM Kim to visit Myanmar this week to discuss bilateral cooperation

(ATTN: UPDATES with first vice foreign minister's meeting with top envoys of ASEAN in paras 6-9)

SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Yonhap) -- Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn will visit Myanmar this week for talks with his counterpart and other officials to discuss joint efforts to fight the new coronavirus and bilateral cooperation in other areas, the foreign ministry said Monday.

During his visit to Myanmar from Tuesday to Friday, Kim plans to hold policy talks with his counterpart, U Chan Aye, on ways to deepen practical cooperation on the occasion of the 45th anniversary this year of the establishment of the two countries' diplomatic ties, the ministry said.

The deputy foreign minister also plans to meet with other senior officials in Myanmar's capital of Naypyidaw and Yangon, and hold talks with South Korean businesspeople operating in the country.

Kim is expected to use the envisioned trip to promote Seoul's "New Southern Policy Plus," an upgraded version of its signature diplomatic initiative that President Moon Jae-in announced during a Nov. 12 summit involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The foreign policy drive is aimed at deepening diplomatic and economic ties with the regional bloc and India.

Also Monday, First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun met with the top envoys of ASEAN and vowed to further strengthen coordination on health care and economic cooperation, as well as non-traditional security threats, according to the foreign ministry.

The envoys expressed expectations for further improvement of South Korea's strategic partnership with ASEAN.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

South Korea has sought stronger economic ties with Southeast Asian countries to reduce its heavy reliance on large markets, like the United States and China, and to foster new growth drivers.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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