South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with ASEAN (the ten-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations) counterparts in Manila on Wednesday to advance their comprehensive strategic partnership and coordinate responses to the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict, which has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since late February. Both South Korea and most ASEAN members are heavily dependent on energy imports, making them acutely vulnerable to the supply disruptions and trade-route instability stemming from the Middle East crisis. Talks also covered practical cooperation on artificial intelligence, digital economic integration, nuclear energy and free trade agreement upgrades, with ASEAN remaining South Korea's third-largest trading partner, receiving roughly $122.5 billion in South Korean exports in 2025.