Aquino to go ahead with visit to SKorea despite strong quake

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - President Benigno Aquino III said today that he will push through with his state visit to South Korea this week despite a deadly earthquake that hit central Philippines.

Aquino told reporters after meeting with concerned officials regarding the impact of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that he did not want the relations between the Philippines and South Korea to be affected if he would suddenly cancel his trip on Oct. 17-18.

He recalled that South Korea had invited him around twice or thrice to visit Seoul since the November 2011 state visit here by former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

"So after this has been set (and) we will suddenly cancel (the trip), our good relationship with Korea might be affected," Aquino said.

The President said that he would fly to central provinces of Bohol and Cebu on Wednesday to see for himself the situation there.

He said that death toll from Tuesday's earthquake rose to 28 and they came from Bohol, Cebu and Siquijor.