The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

MEMBERS OF THE 22ND QUEZON CITY COUNCIL CONDUCTS BENCHMARKING ACTIVITY IN THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO LEARN INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS

[Above photo] Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto (fifth from right) paid a courtesy visit to Goyang City Mayor Lee Dong-hwan (fifth from left) on 20 February 2024. They were joined by WeGO Secretary General Jung Sook Park (third from right), Philippine Embassy officials, Minister and Consul General Romulo Victor M. Israel Jr. (second from right) and Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha L. Olavario (second from left). [Below photo] Mayor Lee and Vice Mayor Sotto discusses future cooperation for Quezon City and Goyang City.

28 February 2024, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul welcomed the delegation from the 22^nd Quezon City Council headed by Hon. Gian Carlo G. Sotto, Vice Mayor of Quezon City on a benchmarking activity in the Republic of Korea from 19 to 23 February 2024. The activity is part of the City Government of Quezon City’s efforts to craft future-forward legislation tied to the automation of various government services such as electronic recordkeeping standards, online public consultation, digital voting authorization guidelines, remote participation protocols, cybersecurity training, digitalization and document management, and public access to digital archives.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul, led by Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega, assisted the Quezon City Council delegation during the 3-day benchmarking activity which included meetings with key ROK public officials for city-to-city cooperation and international partnerships. The delegation met with Honorable Lee Dong-Hwan, Mayor of Goyang City to discuss smart city best practices and future city-to-city cooperation, Hon. Hyeonki Kim, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council for productive exchanges on a fully digitalized city council, and the Digital Services Division of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea to gain insights on digital platform policies of the Republic of Korea. The Seoul Metropolitan Government also provided the delegation with a briefing through the Seoul Transport Operation Information Service (TOPIS) monitoring real-time traffic conditions and rapid response to incidents, utilizing a cutting-edge traffic information system which integrates and manages transport information (including flow and unexpected incidents) in Seoul.

In cooperation with the WeGO Secretariat headed by Secretary General Jung Sook Park, the Quezon City Council delegation also attended the WeGO 2024 Activities Kick-Off Event and received briefings on smart city best practices from Goyang City, Seoul Tourism Office, Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ) Promotion Center and Incheon Smart City Corporation.

The Philippine Embassy in Seoul will continue to support visiting delegations from various local government units (LGU’s) in the Philippines acknowledging their significant role in pursuing inclusive and good governance practices and sustainable development. END

[Above photo] The Quezon City Council delegation attends WeGO’s 2024 Activities Kick-Off Event held at the Seoul Global Center on 20 February 2024. [Below right photo] Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega and Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto during the WeGO 2024 Activities Kick-Off Event. [Below left photo] The Quezon City Council delegation participates in a Learning Session prepared by the WeGO Secretariat on 21 February 2024.

[Above photo] Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Carlo Sotto, members of the Quezon City Council, Philippine Embassy Officers poses for a photo with Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Hon. Hyeonki Kim and members of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. [Below photo] Members of the Quezon City Council delegation engages in a discussion on the legislative functions of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

[Above photo] The Quezon City Council delegation attends a briefing conducted by the Seoul Transport Operation & Information Service (TOPIS) on 21 February 2024. [Below photo] The Quezon City Council Delegation attends a briefing on Smart City Best Practices at the Goyang Human Resources Education Center on 20 February 2024.

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