South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is looking forward to expanding the partnership with the Philippines.

In his opening remarks during the bilateral meeting with President Marcos, the South Korean leader said his visit to the Philippines is a timely opportunity to further enhance trade and economic ties, as well as broaden the scope of cooperation between the two nations.

During the bilateral meeting, the two leaders agreed to elevate the ties of the two nations into a Strategic Partnership.

President Yoon emphasized the “special bond forged in blood” between the Philippines and SoKor. He was referring to the significant support of the Philippines to SoKor during the Korean War, when the former became the first Southeast Asian nation to establish diplomatic relations with the latter. The Philippines sent the largest contingent of troops from the region during the conflict.

“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.

“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,” the South Korean leader added.

Before concluding his remarks, President Yoon expressed optimism for a productive and fruitful discussion during the bilateral meeting.

For his part, President Marcos said the Philippine government is looking forward to President Yoon’s visit as it will bring “a very meaningful meeting” not only on the political level, but also on other sectors and areas that should be explored by the two nations. | PND