President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday held his first telephone conversation with His Excellency President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea (ROK), reaffirming the strong and enduring Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and ROK.
President Lee assumed office on June 4, 2025.
During their conversation, President Marcos conveyed his warm congratulations and expressed his full support for President Lee’s administration.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the Strategic Partnership, emphasizing cooperation in key areas such as trade and investment, defense and security, and people-to-people ties.
President Marcos reiterated the Philippines’ appreciation for the ROK’s longstanding support for the country’s development and advocacies.
The President took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of continued international support for the Philippines’ maritime interests and regional stability, in line with international law.
President Marcos likewise expressed his eagerness to meet with the newly elected leader during the upcoming high-level events, such as the 2025 APEC Summit to be hosted by the ROK later this year. President Lee expressed support for deeper ASEAN-ROK engagements as the Philippines assumes ASEAN chairmanship in 2026.
The Philippines and the ROK established diplomatic relations on March 3, 1949, marking 76 years of formal ties in 2025. Relations between the two countries were elevated through the Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership on October 7, 2024, reflecting a shared commitment to enhance cooperation across key sectors, including political, security, economic, and socio-cultural.
In 2024, the ROK ranked as the Philippines’ 4th largest trading partner, 5th export destination, and 4th biggest import source, with total bilateral trade reaching USD 13.2 billion.
Philippine exports to the ROK is valued at USD 3.6 billion, while its imports from ROK totalled USD 9.6 billion.
In 2024, the ROK was the Philippines’ leading source of foreign tourists, making up 26.37 percent of total arrivals. (PND)
