President Marcos has reaffirmed Manila's “strong and enduring” Strategic Partnership with Seoul as he spoke for the first time with newly elected South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung on Thursday, Aug. 14.

President Lee, who assumed office on June 4, received Marcos’ warm congratulations and assurance of full support for his administration.

According to Malacañang, the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in trade and investment, defense and security, and people-to-people exchanges.

"The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to deepening the Strategic Partnership, emphasizing cooperation in key areas such as trade and investment, defense and security, and people-to-people ties," it said.

For his part, Lee said he highlighted that South Korea has become the Philippines’ largest investment partner.

"We agreed to further expand our mutually beneficial collaboration in areas such as shipbuilding, the defense industry, and infrastructure, including sea bridges and railways,” he said in his X account.

President Marcos likewise expressed appreciation for South Korea’s "longstanding support" for the Philippines’ development priorities and advocacies, particularly in infrastructure and defense modernization.

He also underscored the need for continued international backing for the country’s maritime interests and regional stability, "in line with international law."

In his X post, President Lee described the Philippines as a “long-standing ally,” noting that it is also the first and largest Asian country to participate in the Korean War.

According to Lee, he and Marcos agreed to expand “mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, including infrastructure such as sea bridges and railways, the shipbuilding industry, and defense.”

The South Korean leader likewise thanked the Philippines for Filipino workers in South Korea and vowed to improve their living conditions while in his country.

“I also expressed my gratitude for the contributions of more than 100,000 Filipino workers who have worked in South Korea to promote goodwill between our two nations, and conveyed my commitment to improving stable living conditions for foreign workers in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, both leaders looked forward to meeting in person during upcoming high-level gatherings, including the 2025 APEC Summit that South Korea will host later this year.

In response, Lee voiced support for closer ASEAN–Republic of Korea engagement as the Philippines prepares to chair the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026.

“I look forward to meeting President Marcos in person through events such as the APEC Summit to closely discuss ways to further develop bilateral relations and cooperate in addressing global challenges,” he said.

The Philippines–South Korea ties date back to March 3, 1949, and marked their 76th year in 2025.

The relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership through a joint declaration signed on Oct. 7, 2024, covering political, security, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation.

In 2024, South Korea was the Philippines’ fourth-largest trading partner, fifth-biggest export market, and fourth-biggest import source, with bilateral trade totaling $13.2 billion. Exports to South Korea were valued at $3.6 billion, while imports reached USD 9.6 billion.

South Korea also remained the country’s top source of foreign tourists last year, accounting for 26.37 percent of total arrivals.