President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called for collaboration between the Philippines and South Korea (SoKor) to achieve prosperity for the peoples of the two nations and promote rules-based international order.
During a bilateral meeting at the Malacañan Palace, President Marcos and SoKor President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed to elevate the ties of the two nations into a Strategic Partnership.
President Marcos highlighted the robust diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and South Korea, which was formally established on March 3, 1949. The two countries are marking the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.
President Marcos also noted the “myriad of fields of cooperation” between the Philippines and South Korea, including defense and security, maritime cooperation, trade development, and people-to-people exchanges.
“As we chart the future direction of our relations, the way forward is clear. The time has come for us to elevate the ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea to a Strategic Relationship,” President Marcos told President Yoon.
The President said this “notion must be as concrete as the foundation” from which the bilateral relations of the two nations stand.
“As the geopolitical environment is only becoming more complex, we must work together to achieve prosperity for our peoples and to promote a rules-based order governed by international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” President Marcos said.
For his part, President Yoon expressed his gratitude to President Marcos and the Filipino people for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation, highlighting the “special bond forged in blood” between the two countries.
President Yoon also acknowledged the significance of elevating the partnership between the Philippines and South Korea.
“Based on the special bond forged in blood, our two countries have closely cooperated over the past 75 years, and today, we are elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership which will bring our cooperation to a higher level,” President Yoon told President Marcos.
The South Korean President also expressed optimism that his visit will open more opportunities for both nations.
“I hope that my state visit will serve as an opportunity to not only further enhance our trade and economic cooperation but also widen the scope of our partnership to include future-oriented sectors such as security, digital technology, and energy,” Yoon said.
“So, Mr. President, I look forward to a fruitful discussion on ways to take great strides in our bilateral cooperations today,” he added.
President Yoon’s State Visit to the Philippines comes at the invitation of President Marcos.
Currently, the Philippines has 62 agreements with the Republic of Korea in various fields, including trade, education, energy, defense, information, transportation, mutual legal assistance, extradition, labor, social security, and tourism, among others. (PCO)
