SOUTH Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to arrive in Manila for a two-day state visit starting Sunday, on the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Presidential Communications Office said yesterday.
Yoon and President Marcos Jr. will meet on Monday and the two leaders are expected to discuss areas of mutual interest including cooperation in the areas of politics; security and defense; maritime, economic and development fields’ people-to-people ties; and labor matters.
Malacañang said the two leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues, as well as “reaffirm the vibrant and dynamic relations between the two countries.”
It also said the President and First Lady Louise Araneta – Marcos will officially welcome Yoon and First Lady KIM Keon Hee in Malacañang on Monday.
Yoon’s visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in March 1949.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Philippine-South Korea Parliamentary Friendship Association, said Yoon’s visit solidifies the country’s relations with the East Asian economy.
“We are deeply honored by President Yoon’s first visit to the country as this affirms the good bilateral relations that we have enjoyed over the past 75 years with South Korea. We are confident that the visit will serve to further strengthen our ties moving forward,” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian has co-authored and sponsored a resolution recognizing the enduring amity and cooperation between the two countries.
“I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable growth of our bilateral ties and for sure, the bonds between our countries are not merely founded on formal agreements or shared interests, but on a profound brotherhood that transcends time and generations,” Gatchalian said.
The total Philippines-South Korea trade reached $10 billion in 2023, with South Korea ranking as the Philippines fourth largest trading partner. In 2022, South Korea was the Philippines’ seventh largest export market out of 211 countries. Also in 2022, South Korea was the Philippines’ fourth largest import supplier.
The Philippines and Republic of Korea signed the Philippines-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia in September 2023.
Gatchalian said the depth of the two countries’ bilateral relations is manifested in various ways,” like in Korean companies offering employment to Filipinos and in Filipinos studying in South Korea. — Jocelyn Montemayor and Raymond Africa
