The truth is a bitter pill to swallow, but it must be admitted nevertheless. North Korea is now a nuclear power.

Japan has been increasing its involvement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in recent times. During the recently concluded ASEAN-Japan Summit in Manila, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in areas including maritime security, trade and disaster relief.History of ASEAN-Japan tiesJapan is one of ASEAN’s most important partner and relations between the two have improved drastically since the end of the Second World War.

South Korean President, Moon Jae-in will be visiting three ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries next month – namely Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines for the first time since assuming office in May this year.His visit to Indonesia on the November 8 will kickstart the three-nation tour of the region where he is scheduled to meet his Indonesian counterpart – President Joko Widodo – and is expected to hold a summit in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta.

“ASEAN centrality is not a magic incantation whose mere invocation makes all our dreams come true. Nor is it an objective reality that exists irrespective of perceptions – ASEAN centrality is more akin to the sound of Berkeley’s falling tree than Johnson’s immovable rock.”Ambassador-at-Large at the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bilahari Kausikan is no stranger to eloquence when delivering his thoughts to an eager audience.