A reception to commemorate the 126th anniversary of the Philippines' independence and the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea was held on June 11 at Lotte Hotel, Seoul.
H. E. Theresa Dizon De-Vega, Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea, said in her opening remarks, “Today we are celebrating a historic milestone. It is the 126th anniversary of the Philippines' independence and the 75th anniversary of the enduring friendship between the Republic of Korea and the Philippines. The Philippines is the first in ASEAN countries and the fifth in the world to establish diplomatic relations with Korea.”
"The Republic of Korea is the Philippines' fifth-largest trading partner, fifth-largest export market, fourth-largest import market, fifth-largest source of foreign direct investment, and number one source of foreign tourists to the Philippines, as well as a major ODA partner. September last year, the two countries signed a free trade agreement, emphasizing the forward-looking nature of the relationship with a shared vision of elevating it to a “strategic partnership,” as stated by the two leaders, President Yoon Suk Yeol and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Honorable Kim Hong-Kyun, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, said in his congratulatory remarks, “This year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines. The Philippines dispatched 7,420 soldiers during the Korean War, the largest among Asian countries. The Korean people will never forget their sacrifices and those sacrifices will continue to be cherished in the minds of Korean people. He continued, ”Last year, we signed the Korea-Philippines Free Trade
Agreement (FTA). With bilateral trade reaching $13.6 billion (approx. KRW 18 trillion), the RCEP and ASEAN-Korea FTA, as well as the Korea-Philippines FTA, will increase trade and investment between the two countries cyclically."
He also introduced Korean participation in the Philippines' infrastructure program Build Better More. "Recently, Korean companies have announced major investments in Subic Shipyard and Manila International Airport. The Bataan-Cavite Sea Bridge project will also be a landmark project to enhance connectivity in the Philippines,” he said, concluding with a ‘salamat po’ (thank you).
The '75th Anniversary reception was attended by more than 300 guests including many foreign ambassadors to Korea, Korean diplomats, Kim Dong-bae, Director of the ASEAN Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kim Jae-shin, Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, Han Dong-man, former Ambassador to the Philippines, Na Kyung-won, Member of the National Assembly, Kim Byung-kwan, Chairman of the Importers Association, Lee Isamin, former Green Party Member of Parliament from Divao, and members of the business community, and was highlighted by a performance by a Filipino choir.
