"Nowhere to go but up."

The Philippines and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) officially elevated their 75-year diplomatic relationship to a strategic partnership, citing common values and robust partnerships in various fields.

This developed during President Marcos' bilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during his two-day State Visit to the Philippines on Monday morning, Oct. 7.

In his remarks during their meeting, Marcos described the relationship between the Philippines and South Korea as a "storied one" that has grown since its establishment in 1949, especially after Filipino soldiers fought alongside their Korean counterparts during the Korean War the following year.

"Our bonds have continued to grow since then. Today, we have a robust partnership in a myriad of fields of cooperation, including defense and security, maritime cooperation, trade, development, and people-to-people exchanges. From here, there is nowhere else to go but up," he said.

With this, the President believed it was time to take the relationship between the two countries to the next level.

"As we chart the future direction of our relations, the way forward is clear. The time has come for us to elevate the ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea to a Strategic Relationship," he said.

"This idea must be as concrete as the foundation from which our bilateral relationships stand. 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 added.

In their joint press statement afterward, Marcos said the elevation of the relationship between the two countries to a strategic partnership adds further impetus to the strengthening and deepening of cooperation in an increasingly complex geopolitical and economic environment.

"We agreed that we have made significant strides in advancing and deepening our bilateral cooperation towards the attainment of our mutually beneficial goals," he said.

Joined by their respective delegations, the two leaders' discussion centered on the two countries’ partnership in the political, security and defense, maritime, economic and development areas, and people-to-people ties.

Expansion of ties

For his part, South Korean President Yoon said ge was hoping to expand Seoul’s ties with Manila, particularly in the areas of trade and economic cooperation.

He likewise hoped to widen the scope of the two countries' partnership to include future-oriented sectors such as security, digital technology, and energy.

"Mr. President, I look forward to a fruitful discussion on ways to take great strides in our bilateral cooperation today. Thank you very much," Yoon told Marcos before their bilateral meeting.

Yoon said he was even privileged to visit the country, which was made in a momentous year as the two sides mark the 75th year of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this year.

“In 1949, the Philippines became the first nation in Southeast Asia to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea, and during the Korean War, it was the Philippines who sent the largest contingent of troops to Korea among Asian nations,” he said.

"Based on this special bond forged in blood, our two countries have closely cooperated over the past 75 years, and today we are elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership which will bring our cooperation to a higher level," he added.

According to Malacañang, both leaders, having been elected in 2022, are working together towards strengthening the existing cooperation between their two nations in various areas.

Bilateral relations between the Philippines and South Korea started on March 3, 1949, when the Philippines became the fifth nation to recognize the Republic of Korea.

This friendship was cemented by the deployment of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) during the Korean War in the 1950s.

Defense partnership strengthened

The Philippines and South Korea also announced they will strengthen their defense and security partnership as both countries share the same stand on issues concerning disputes in the South China Sea and North Korea's nuclear programs.

Yoon, in a joint briefing with Marcos, said that Seoul and Manila agreed to bolster their strategic partnership, primarily on the security front, and reinforce maritime security ties to address transnational crimes and conduct information sharing and search and rescue missions.

South Korea will also support the Philippines' military modernization program by actively taking part in it, Yoon said.

Seoul's commitment was made as Yoon discussed with Marcos international and regional concerns, such as developments in the Indo-Pacific.

He said they agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation "in a bid to uphold the rules-based international order."

"President Marcos and I reaffirmed that the international community will never condone North Korea's nuclear programs and its reckless provocations as well as illegitimate military cooperation with Russia," Yoon said.

"And going forward, we agreed to keep working together with each other for the enforcement of relevant UN Security Council resolutions," he added.

Yoon said Marcos also expressed his support for the "unification doctrine"—a doctrine announced by Yoon on Aug. 15 that is aimed at unifying the South and the North Koreas.

"We both agreed that a free, peaceful and prosperous unified Korean peninsula will bring more peace and prosperity to the world," he said.

President Yoon likewise said that he and President Marcos shared the same stand on the South China Sea issue, particularly the importance of maintaining the peace and stability in the contested waterway.

It is significant because it is "a critical sea lane of communications in the region," he said.

"In this regard, our two countries will continue to work together in order to establish a rules-based maritime order and for the freedom of navigation and overflight pursuant to the principles of the international law in the South China Sea," he added.

Free Trade Agreement

President Marcos and President Yoon agreed that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries should be brought into force as soon as possible to boost trade and investment between the Philippines and South Korea.

"President Marcos and I agreed to work together in order to deliver tangible benefits to the citizens of both countries by stepping up our economic cooperation," Yoon said.

"To this end, we have committed to bringing the Korea-Philippines FTA signed in September last year into force at the earliest date possible, which shall boost trade and investment between our two nations," he added.

The PH-ROK FTA was ratified by President Marcos on May 13. Both governments signed the FTA on Sept. 7, 2023, to further enhance relations between the two nations.

The agreement is anticipated to bolster the Philippines’ position as an attractive market for intelligent and environmentally sustainable investments. It is expected to deliver substantial economic gains for the Philippines by facilitating enhanced access to South Korean markets.

Additionally, the FTA aims to spur strategic investments from South Korea into priority sectors, industries, and emerging economic areas within the Philippines.

Industries like the automotive sector are expected to benefit significantly from the FTA, as it includes the removal of tariffs on numerous automotive units and components. This favorable arrangement also provides automakers and suppliers with the prospect of broadening their reach, driving economic growth for both countries.

The FTA also serves as a foundation for broader collaboration in trade, business, and investment, extending beyond its economic advantages.

6 signed MOUs

Marcos and Yoon likewise witnessed the exchange of six signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) which aim to propel the momentum of the newly established strategic partnership between the two countries in the decades to come.

The first was the MOU between the Philippine Coast Guard and the Korea Coast Guard on Maritime Cooperation which aims to strengthen understanding, mutual trust, and confidence, and for the promotion, preservation, and protection of our mutual maritime interests, including maritime order and safety in the Asia-Pacific region.

Under the MOU, President Yoon said the Philippines and South Korea will reinforce their maritime security partnership in areas such as tackling transnational crimes, information sharing, and conducting search and rescue missions.

The second was the MOU on the Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP). This establishes a framework for cooperation between the two countries for the advancement of national, regional, and urban development in the Philippines.

To promote cooperation in the establishment of supply chains for critical raw materials in both countries, the Philippines and South Korea have signed the MOU for Strategic Cooperation on Critical Raw Material Supply Chains.

Given South Korea’s successful experience in the nuclear industry, both nations signed the MOU on the Feasibility Study of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). This will carry out a thorough feasibility study to continue progress on the BNPP Rehabilitation, which the Philippines government envisions to contribute to energy security in the country.

As part of efforts to strengthen infrastructure and development cooperation, the two countries signed the loan agreements on the Samar Coastal Road II Project, the MOU on the Laguna Lakeshore Road Network Project (Phase I), and the Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island Bridges Project.

Lastly, the Philippines and South Korea signed the Implementation Program of the MOU between the Department of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of the Republic of Korea for 2024-2029. This aims to strengthen and continue promoting bilateral tourism cooperation between the two countries.

In his remarks, President Yoon stressed the importance of the MOU, noting that Korean tourists accounted for the largest share of foreign visitors to the Philippines in 2023, reaching around 1.45 million visitors. He also noted that approximately 97,000 Filipino workers have come to Korea so far since 2004.

"President Marcos and I affirmed our common understanding that close people-to-people exchanges serve as a solid foundation of our friendly cooperation," he said.

"[We] agreed to put joint efforts to promote further exchanges between the people of our two countries while protecting the rights and safety of each others' citizens residing in our respective nations," he added.