Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Bilateral Meeting with His Excellency Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea

Your Excellency, President Lee Jae Myung,

I am pleased to welcome you to Manila. Your auspicious visit coincides with the 77th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, which we mark on this very day.

Our ties were tested by a history of sacrifice now made more dynamic by our common commitment to freedom, peace, and prosperity.

The Philippines will always remember how our friendship was forged during the Korean War when we sent our men to fight alongside our people.

That bond cemented in solidarity during very difficult times continues to guide our strategic partnership.

Our closer defense, security and maritime cooperation reflects our mutual trust as we respond to a rapidly evolving international security environment.

Our free trade agreement has brought about new opportunities for trade and investment, the export of bananas and other tropical fruits and crops for our region.

We look forward as well to your continued support for our major infrastructure projects, particularly the legacy project in new Dumaguete Airport, the Samar Pacific Coastal Road, the Jalaur River Multipurpose Project, and the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network, some of the very important projects that we are being assisted by Korea with.

And we also appreciate your country’s assistance in the now operational Pangil Bay Bridge in northern Mindanao, which I personally inaugurated in September of 2024.

We hope that the construction of the Panay-Guimaras Negros Island Bridge will start as soon as possible. And we appreciate Korea’s strong interest in the new infrastructure initiatives such as the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge.

Our holistic development partnership with the Republic of Korea also encompasses AI, marine cleanup, water resource management, agriculture mechanization, ambulatory health services, capacity building, and the protection of vulnerable sectors in the south in Bangsamoro.

These initiatives directly support the well-being of our people and further strengthen the human connections that are at the heart of the partnership between our two countries.

And Filipinos also have embraced very much Korean culture, starting with K-pop, K-drama and, of course, our shared values.

It is also my pleasure to note the growing appreciation of Koreans for the Philippines, our world-renowned mangoes, the beauty of our tourist destinations, and most importantly the exceptional talent and hospitality of Filipinos.

Also, I think our researchers forgot to mention is the growing appreciation for Korean food. The Korean cuisine has become one of the most popular cuisines here in the Philippines.

Excellency, from standing side by side during the Korean War to deepening a strategic partnership today, our relations have come a long way.

May our meeting today strengthen our commitment to the same values of mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation.

— END —