CEBU, Philippines - Koreans staying in Cebu have welcomed the move of the government of South Korea to open a consular office here.
Bong Hwan "Charlie" Cho, president of the Cebu Korean Association, Inc. told The Freeman that a consular office here would be beneficial to Koreans here because they would no longer need to go to Manila.
Cho said there are about 30,000 Koreans in Cebu. Of this number, 10,100 are members of the association. Some are already permanent residents here and others are regular tourists.
Aside from being beneficial to Koreans, a consular office here would also strengthen the relationship between Korea and the Philippines.
"There are may be conflicts with some Filipinos but we always do our best to settle those conflicts and be good friends with Filipinos because we really like Philippines especially Cebu and we already love Philippines so we are here," Cho said.
He said the Korean Government is now finalizing the requirements for the opening of a consular office.
Lawyer Augusto Go, president of the University of Cebu, is the Honorary Consul of Korea here.
Last year, President Benigno Aquino III announced that South Korea will open a consular office in Cebu.
With the surge of Koreans visiting the Philippines, especially Cebu, every year, Aquino said there is a need to enhance efforts to ensure their safety and protection.
"They will establish a (consulate) there and they will teach our policemen on the sharing of databases," Aquino said.
The president acknowledged that it was difficult to prosecute if the perpetrators of crimes against Koreans are their fellow nationals. He cited the need for closer intelligence sharing between Manila and Seoul about the "unsavory elements" who may visit the Philippines and prey on fellow Koreans.
"I mentioned that most of the time, if there is a Korean victim, the perpetrator is also Korean," the president had said in Filipino.
"If they stay quiet, we can't use the information we need," he added. (FREEMAN)