MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino will embark on three trips next month, including a state visit to South Korea that is expected to boost ties between the two countries, Malacañang said yesterday.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told a press briefing that Aquino will meet with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, who invited him for a visit, on Oct. 17 to 18. Meanwhile, the trips of Aquino to Bali, Indonesia on Oct. 7 to 8 for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and Brunei Darussalam on Oct. 9 to 10 for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit do not have specific details yet coming from Malacañang or the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
According to the Palace and the DFA, Aquino and Park will hold their first summit meeting to discuss bilateral issues, particularly political, defense, economic and development cooperation, and to exchange views on regional and international challenges, among others.
During the two-day visit, the President will also meet with the Korean business community to promote further trade and investment in the Philippines and interact with the Filipino community in Seoul.
The President had only traveled to Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in January, Brunei also for the ASEAN summit in April, and Myanmar for the WEF on East Asia in June.
He had mentioned about a possible trip to Japan in December, bringing to seven his travels overseas for this year.
The Philippines and South Korea established relations in March 1949. During the Korean War in 1950, the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) joined the United Nations-led coalition in defending the freedom of the Korean people. Until today, both countries recognize this as the bedrock of Philippine-Korean relations, the DFA said.
The two countries have also developed dynamic economic relations, the DFA said, and South Korea was among the Philippines’ leading partners in trade, investments and development cooperation.
South Korea remains the country’s top source of tourists, reaching more than a million in 2012 or nearly a quarter of the total tourist arrivals to the Philippines, the DFA said.
Asked about the significance of the trip, Valte said given the strong people-to-people ties between the two countries – with the number of Korean tourists coming to the Philippines and the number of Filipinos in South Korea, it would be good to strengthen and expand relations for their mutual benefit.
“Of course... (it is also about) continuing the thrust of the President to attract business to the Philippines,†Valte said. – With Pia Lee-Brago