Korean Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Kim Wan-ki (center) presides over the 8th Korea-ASEAN heads of IP offices meeting in Seoul on Sept. 1. (Korean Intellectual Property Office)
Korean Intellectual Property Office Commissioner Kim Wan-ki (center) presides over the 8th Korea-ASEAN heads of IP offices meeting in Seoul on Sept. 1. (Korean Intellectual Property Office)

South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are stepping up cooperation in intellectual property as both sides look to harness new technologies and support cross-border business expansion.

Since inking their first memorandum of cooperation in Brunei in 2018, Seoul and ASEAN have built a framework of collaboration in intellectual property rights through annual meetings and joint initiatives. Their partnership has increasingly focused on practical tools for companies, such as patent protection, trademark support and commercialization strategies tailored to the fast-growing Southeast Asian market.

That agenda was reinforced at the 8th Korea-ASEAN heads of IP offices meeting, hosted by the Korean Intellectual Property Office in Seoul on Sept. 1. Delegates from the 10 ASEAN member states took part, while East Timor, preparing to launch its own IP office, joined as an observer.

The joint declaration adopted this year highlighted future-oriented areas: enhancing AI-based IP administration, strengthening protection frameworks and promoting IP financing to help businesses turn intangible assets into growth drivers. The partners also agreed to expand education programs, including customized training for each member state, to build local IP capacity.

“ASEAN, a representative region of the Global South with significant growth potential, has recently become increasingly important in terms of export market diversification,” said Kim Wan-ki, commissioner of the Korean Intellectual Property Office. “We will strengthen IP cooperation to ensure that Korean companies operating their business in the ASEAN region can easily secure and protect their rights, such as patents and trademarks.”

The latest meeting underscores how IP is becoming a strategic pillar in Korea-ASEAN economic ties, complementing broader trade and investment links across the region.

By Lee Kwon-hyung and Ha Neul-bit


andreahaneu@heraldcorp.com
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com