MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on Monday it is time to elevate the Philippines’ ties with South Korea into a strategic partnership.
In a speech at Malacañang Palace, the Chief Executive said the “geopolitical environment is only becoming more complex.”
“This diplomatic development must be as concrete as the foundations from which our bilateral relationships stand,” President Marcos said during a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
He added: “As we chart the future direction of our relations, the way forward is clear: it is time for us to elevate the ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea to a strategic relationship.”
“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,” he further said.
Yoon, for his part, said that the Philippines and South Korea have a “special bond forged in blood” as the Southeast Asian country sent the “largest contingent of troops to Korea among Asian nations” during the Korean war.
“Based on this special bond forged in blood, our two countries have closely cooperated over the last 75 years,” Yoon said. “Philippines became the first nation in Southeast Asia to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea.”
“Today, we are elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership which will bring our cooperation to a higher level,” South Korea’s leader added.
President Marcos then thanked Yoon for flying to Manila as the Philippines and South Korea marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations./PN
