He says he helped broker an expanded truce between Thailand and Cambodia, saying it ‘saved millions of lives’
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the ASEAN-U.S. summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 26, 2025. PHOTO: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Japanese Emperor Naruhito on Monday (October 27) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, marking their first meeting in six years since Trump’s previous presidency.
The visit comes shortly after Trump’s departure from Malaysia, where he attended the 47th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit. Before leaving, Trump called Malaysia a “great and very dynamic country” and announced several trade deals with the host country.
Read: Trump begins Asian tour with agreements
During his visit, Trump also helped sign an expanded truce between Thailand and Cambodia – a deal he said he helped broker in July. In an article on Truth Social, Trump claimed the deal had “saved millions of lives.”
S. Korea vows to strengthen anti-crime cooperation with ASEAN
At the ASEAN-Republic of Korea summit held alongside the leaders’ meeting in Kuala Lumpur, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged to strengthen cooperation with Southeast Asian countries to combat transnational and organized crime.
Lee said the South Korean National Police Agency will strengthen investigative collaboration with ASEAN Police Chiefs (ASEANAPOL) to dismantle cross-border criminal networks, including scam hubs operating in border regions and exploiting young victims.
“We will strengthen investigative cooperation with ASEANAPOL to root out organized crime networks and ensure that high-stakes crimes have no place in the region,” Lee said.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for closer collaboration between ASEAN and South Korea to address challenges related to technological disruption, strategic competition and fragmented supply chains.
Learn more: Trump to lead ASEAN summit as Thailand, Cambodia reach ceasefire deal
ASEAN remains one of South Korea’s largest trading partners, with Seoul investing a total of $8.5 billion in the region. Lee noted that South Korean companies continue to drive ASEAN’s industrial growth in sectors such as automobiles, steel and electronics.
Marking 35 years of ASEAN-Korea dialogue relations last year, Lee announced that South Korea would host the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit in 2029 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of relations.
