The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PHILIPPINES AND KOREA CELEBRATE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Top: Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega toast to 75 years of strong cooperation. Below: Guest of Honor MOFA Director General Kim Dong-Bae and H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President and Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and 8th Secretary General of the UN General Assembly join the Ambassador during the cake cutting ceremony.

10 March 2024, Seoul - The Philippine Embassy in Seoul marked the start of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties with the Republic of Korea with a launch reception, highlighting both nations’ shared sacrifices and deep cooperation across various fields since 1949. The reception was held on 05 March 2024 with guests from the Korean government, private sector, diplomatic corps, and other international partners.

Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega underscored that the long-standing relationship goes way back before the establishment of formal relations on March 3, 1949, sharing the story of early exchanges such as that of Moon Soon-deuk, a well-known figure in Korean merchant maritime annals, who over two centuries ago in 1801 learned the Filipino language and served as the first interpreter for Filipinos who were shipwrecked off the coast of Jeju Island.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega invited those present to experience commemorative events and activities throughout the 75th anniversary year which will continue to draw inspiration from our dynamic people-to-people ties – a shared affinity that pre-dates Filipinos’ fascination with the Hallyu Wave and our Korean friends' love for the Philippines’ welcoming tropical isles.

Guest-of-Honor MOFA Director General for ASEAN Kim Dong-bae conveyed that the next 75 years of PH-ROK relations will be anchored on a more profound and strategic thrust. He also informed the guests that both sides “expect the elevation of our bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in the months ahead, not years.” He also expressed appreciation for the Philippine Embassy’s projects to foster mutual understanding through food and the media, and highlighted that the concept of 'jeong(정)' or warm feeling of attachment is one of the many shared values between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea.

H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President and Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and 8th Secretary General of the UN General Assembly was the night’s special guest. He said he felt compelled to attend the reception due to his very successful recent meetings in the Philippines advocating for global climate resiliency with HE President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., President Masatsugu Asakawa of the Asian Development Bank, several ministers and Senators including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senate President Pro Tempore and Climate Champion Loren Legarda, and many members of the diplomatic corps in Manila last week. During his speech, H.E. Ban recalled the valiant sacrifice of the 7,420 Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) soldiers who fought together with Korean soldiers during the 1950s Korean War. “I cannot imagine the bravery of those young Filipinos — many of whom probably could not find Korea on a map before — coming all the way to Korea in defense of freedom,” he said.

Guests also enjoyed watching a highlight reel showcasing more than seven decades of long-standing and dynamic ties, along with a special message from Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique A. Manalo who stated, “as the Pearl of the Orient and the Land of the Morning Calm celebrate the 75th year milestone, I look forward to new areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of our two countries and our peoples.”

The Philippine Embassy also provided guests with a video preview of its year-long activities to celebrate the 75^th anniversary.

The guests enjoyed Filipino favorites such as chicken adobo, sinigang, and mango desserts and took home Filipino food products and fresh pineapples as part of the reception’s gift box. To celebrate South Korea being the number one source of inbound tourist arrivals to the Philippines in 2023, travel partner JinAir raffled two roundtrip tickets to the Philippines.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul will celebrate the diamond jubilee of our relations throughout the year through projects and initiatives that will continue to strengthen our political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties and further elevate the partnership between the Philippines and Korea. We invite the public to follow our official pages for more details on activities throughout this milestone year. END

Top row: MOFA Director General Kim Dong-bae and H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President and Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), and 8th Secretary General of the UN General Assembly deliver congratulatory messages. Below: Ambassador De Vega, DG Kim Dong-Bae and H.E. Ban Ki-Moon are joined by Mr. Baek Seung Joo – President of the War Memorial, Ambassador Han Dong Man – Former ROK AEP to the PH, H.E. Kim Haeyong – Secretary General of the ASEAN-Korea Centre, H.E. Hong-Seok Koo – Ambassador for International Relations (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

Photo bottom right: ASEAN Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic missions join PH Ambassador to Korea Theresa Dizon-De Vega, MOFA DG Kim Dong-bae and H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President and Chair of the GGGI and 8^th UN Secretary General on stage.

Top: To celebrate South Korea being the number one source of inbound tourist arrivals to the Philippines in 2023, travel partner JinAir led by GM Park Jeong Woo raffled two roundtrip tickets to the Philippines. Bottom photo: H.E. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega with the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS STATEMENT ON 05 MARCH 2024 AYUNGIN SHOAL INCIDENT

Page 1 DFA Statement on March 5 Ayungin Incident

Page 2 DFA Statement on March 5 Ayungin Incident

Page 3 DFA Statement on March 5 Ayungin Incident

PHILIPPINES AND REPUBLIC OF KOREA DISCUSS STRONGER TIES DURING PHONE CALL

PR MTD 23 2024

8 March 2024, Seoul – Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs H.E. Enrique A. Manalo had a productive & cordial phone call with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul on 8 March 2024 where they exchanged congratulations on the 75th anniversary of PH-ROK diplomatic relations and looked forward to high-level engagements to advance bilateral cooperation and advocate for the rule of law. END

SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT SELECTED AS PHILIPPINES' AMBASSADOR FOR A DAY

Photos: Left - H.E. Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega with Ms. Ji Yoon “Tori” Kim at the International Women’s Day 2024 forum, 7 March 2024. Ms. Kim shadowed and observed Ambassador De Vega during her activities for international women’s day. Top right and below: Ms. Ji Yoon “Tori” Kim during her meeting with the Embassy’s Gender and Development Section headed by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario.

8 March 2024, Seoul – As we celebrate this year’s International Women’s day and the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Korea relations, the Philippine Embassy is proud to introduce its Ambassador for a Day 2024 initiative.

The Ambassador for a Day is a program created to encourage young women to become leaders and advocates for positive change in the Republic of Korea by creating linkages and fostering a deeper understanding of the Philippine Embassy’s core work in the empowerment of women and the multicultural community.

The Philippine Embassy designated Ms. Ji Yoon “Tori” Kim to be the Ambassador for a Day 2024, where she had the opportunity to shadow and observe Philippine Ambassador H.E. Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega for one full day of packed activities. Ms. Kim, currently a Seoul National University student, was chosen based on merit and recommendation by the Asia Society Korea, the Embassy’s partner for the project.

Ms. Kim represents the future of women leaders and changemakers in the Republic of Korea. Aside from being a Seoul National University student, she is also an active member of the Asia Society Korea, participating in their community development programs since her youth. As a talented artist, her work has won numerous awards both in South Korea and abroad. Ms. Kim is also an athlete, being a member of the Seoul National University’s Women’s Skiing Team, and has won numerous medals for the sport.

Ms. Kim met with various members of the Embassy, including officers and staff handling women's rights, public diplomacy, consular, cultural, and assistance-to-national portfolios. Ms. Kim also briefly observed the Embassy’s frontline operations and had a meeting with the Embassy’s GAD section on the importance of women empowerment and the importance of women contributing to policy and development decisions, as well as contributing to fostering a dynamic multicultural community in the Republic of Korea. Ambassador Dizon-De Vega also provided Ms. Kim with an overview of Philippines–Republic of Korea cooperation, as well as future projects of the Embassy in celebration of the 75th anniversary of Philippines-Republic of Korea relations.

As the Philippines’ Ambassador for a Day, Ms. Kim also attended an international women’s month forum where one of the sessions was moderated by Ambassador Dizon-De Vega. Aside from learning new perspectives on South Korean women in the workplace and the challenges faced by migrant women in the Republic of Korea, Ms. Kim was also where able to meet notable women in diplomacy, governance, business, and other related fields and learn about the international community’s work to promote gender equality in the Republic of Korea.

At the end of the program, Ms. Kim conveyed appreciation for being given the opportunity to understand the work of the Philippine Embassy in Korea and the different perspectives on leadership, the increasingly multicultural future of the Korean community, the multi-faceted relations between the Philippines and Korea, and women empowerment through her activities as Ambassador for a Day.

The Philippine Embassy hopes that as a next-generation leader of Korean society, Ms. Kim will remember her experience as Ambassador for A Day of the Philippines and continue to foster mutual understanding between different cultures and work towards the inclusive development of all women in the community.

The Embassy looks forward to continuing the Ambassador for a Day program in the coming years. END

Photos: The Philippine Ambassador for a Day was able to experience the many hats worn by women Ambassadors. At the international women’s conference 2024, Ms. Ji Yoon “Tori” Kim was able to meet women in diplomacy including women Ambassadors in Korea, business leaders, and members of the academe. Ms. Kim also met National Assembly Representative Jasmine Lee, the first Filipino-born lawmaker in the Republic of Korea. Top right and bottom right photos: Ms. Kim met with various members of the Embassy, including officers and staff handling gender and development, public diplomacy, consular, cultural, and assistance-to-nationals portfolios.