The Official Website of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, Korea

PHILIPPINES CALLS FOR ENHANCED SECURITY COOPERATION AT THE UNITED NATIONS COMMAND MEMBER STATES AMBASSADOR’S MEETING

Top: The meeting acknowledges the presence of Amb. Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega. Below: Ambassador Dizon-De Vega delivering her intervention. The Ambassador highlighted PH’s robust defense cooperation with the ROK and UNC, as well as other like-minded nations present in the meeting.

5 April 2024, Seoul – Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea H.E. Theresa Dizon-De Vega joined ROK Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, ROK MOFA Deputy Minister Chung Byung-won, and fellow ambassadors of 17 United Nations Command (UNC) member states on 5 April 2024 at the Ministry of Defense Convention Center in Seoul to discuss ways to further enhance security cooperation and promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the rest of the region amid rising geopolitical tensions. The meeting was also attended by UNC Deputy Commander Lt. Gen Derek Macaulay and H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President and Chair of Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and 8th Secretary General of the UN General Assembly.

During the meeting, United Nations Command Member States conveyed that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are integral to global peace and pledged to closely coordinate with the Republic of Korea to uphold shared goals. UNC member states also conveyed their commitment to strengthening defense cooperation and partnership with the ROK and active participation in the UN Command Member States mechanisms.

Ambassador Dizon-De Vega conveyed practical examples of PH cooperation with the UNC, including sending participants from the Philippine military to UNC-led joint exercises in 2023, the Philippines’ active participation in conferences on allied areas of cooperation and exchange such as military logistics, and conveyed PH intent to continue its active participation in regular UN Command meetings. The Philippines also expressed serious concern for DPRK’s nuclear ambitions, and called for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the DPRK, stressing the need to abide by international law and UNSC sanctions.

The Ambassador was joined by Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario and Defense and Armed Forces Attaché Col. Don Templonuevo INF (GSC) PA.

The UN Command was established in July 1950 under a UN mandate to support ROK against DPRK aggression. Heeding the call of the UN, the Philippines sent 7,420 troops under the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) to help South Korea fight for freedom. At present, the UN Command has been overseeing the armistice that halted the Korean War from 1950-1953. Current members of the UNC include the United States, Britain, Canada, Turkey, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, the Netherlands, Colombia, Greece, New Zealand, Belgium, France, South Africa, Norway, Denmark and Italy. END

Top: UNC Member States Ambassador Meeting, Ambassador Dizon-De Vega (2^nd row, fourth from right) is joined ROK Defense Minister Shin Won-shin, ROK MOFA Deputy Minister Chung Byung-Won, and fellow ambassadors of 17 United Nations Command (UNC) member states on 5 April 2024 at the Ministry of Defense Convention Center in Seoul. Below: (leftmost) Amb. Dizon-De Vega is acknowledged during the meeting, (center) with H.E. Ban Ki-Moon, President & Chair of the GGGI and 8^th UN Secretary General, (right) Ambassador De Vega exchanging pleasantries with ROK Defense Minister Shin Won-sik.

PHILIPPINES HIGHLIGHTS ASEAN-REPUBLIC OF KOREA COOPERATION ON MSME DEVELOPMENT AT THE 28TH ASEAN-ROK DIALOGUE

Top photo: Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs and Philippine-ASEAN Senior Official Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro leads the discussion on ASEAN-ROK cooperation on the Economic Security Pillar. Middle photo: Senior Officials of ASEAN Member States and ROK participate in the 28th ASEAN-ROK Dialogue. Bottom: Philippine Ambassador to ROK Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega (second to the right), DFA Assistant Secretary and ASEAN-Philippines Director-General Daniel R. Espiritu (second to the left), Third Secretary Reisha Olavario (rightmost), and Principal Assistant Prince Nagpala (leftmost) joined Usec Lazaro as part of the Philippine Delegation

SEOUL 08 April 2024 — The Philippines led discussions on ASEAN-Republic of Korea (ROK) Economic Cooperation, particularly on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), during the 28^th ASEAN-ROK Dialogue in Seoul. Undersecretary and the Philippines’ ASEAN SOM Leader Maria Theresa P. Lazaro thanked the ROK for its support for MSMEs and start-up development in ASEAN through consistent policy dialogues and capacity-building programs.

“We encourage ROK and ASEAN member states to explore projects that will strengthen our MSMEs and create a supportive environment for these businesses to thrive”, said Undersecretary Lazaro.

On Maritime Cooperation, Undersecretary Lazaro welcomed ROK’s statement opposing destabilizing and coercive actions in the South China Sea. Undersecretary Lazaro likewise expressed Philippine support for the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI), particularly its objective to Expand ASEAN-ROK comprehensive security cooperation through setting up bilateral channels of maritime cooperation with AMS and enhancing existing policy dialogue on maritime affairs with the Philippines.

The Undersecretary also emphasized that the situation in the South China Sea must not be viewed mainly as a function of the US-China strategic rivalry. “Subscribing strictly to the prism of this rivalry is, to our minds, simplistic, and does not help in an honest understanding of the situation” inasmuch as “aggressive unilateral actions that are clearly illegal in international law and against the UN Charter, which directly affects some ASEAN Member States, like the Philippines, are sometimes rationalized, denigrated and overlooked under the pretext of this rivalry,” while “legitimate responses of aggrieved parties, which again include some ASEAN Member States, to illegal actions are at times unjustly viewed through the prism of this strategic rivalry,” Undersecretary Lazaro added.

Undersecretary Lazaro expressed concern over the DPRK’s continuing launch of ballistic missiles, especially the third ballistic missile test this year conducted on 02 April 2024. Recognizing that such actions undermine economic progress, peace, and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific region, Undersecretary Lazaro conveyed the Philippines’ support for the call for a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of DPRK.

This year, ASEAN and the ROK celebrate 35 years of Dialogue Relations and are looking forward to elevating relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Full Dialogue Partnership and Strategic Partnership (SP) between ASEAN and ROK were established in 1991 and 2011, respectively.

Philippine Ambassador to ROK Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega, DFA Assistant Secretary and ASEAN-Philippines Director-General Daniel R. Espiritu, Third Secretary and Vice Consul Reisha Olavario, and DFA Principal Assistant Prince Nagpala joined Undersecretary Lazaro as members of the Philippine delegation. END

Philippine-ROK Origins Management System Project for the FTA Launched

PR MTD 37 2024

05 April 2024, Seoul. The Philippines and Korea embarked this month on a ground breaking project for an “Origins Management System for the Promotion of FTAs in the Philippines”. The Record of Discussions for the implementation of the project was signed in the Philippines in November 2023 between the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the ROK Government through the Korea Institute for the Advancement of Technology (KIAT) and the Korea Trade Network (KTNET), the designated trade automation business service provider, partnering with DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB).

The initial phase of the program was launched this week in Pangyo Smart City, Korea with the Invitational Training Implementation Plan. The week-long program provided the Philippines and ROK sides with an opportunity to exchange views and align targets for the project implementation. Philippine delegates from DTI-EMB, DTI-BITR, Board of Investments, Bureau of Customs, Export Development Council, and Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. likewise undertook site visits and meetings with KIAT, KTNET, the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), the ROK National Paperless Trade Infrastructure Operation, and ROK FTA Support Center. There were likewise sessions on the Korea Customs Service and Issuance of Certificate of Origin, FTA-based exports by exporting companies, and introduction to ROK’s FTA platform and usage activation.

Philippine Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega stated that the “mainstreaming of digital platforms will contribute to enhancing FTA availment among Filipino exporters” and reiterated support for the project. For his part, KTNET CEO and President Cha Young-Hwan shared that ROK is eager to partner with the Philippines and share its best practices on leveraging the available technology for more seamless export transactions. Likewise present was the launch were Philippine Commercial Counsellor Jose Ma. Dinsay and DTI-EMB Director Bianca Sykimte.

The Philippines-Korea FTA was signed in September 2023 ahead of the commemoration of 75 years of Philippines-Korea relations in 2024. END

PH EMBASSY CONDUCTS KYRR SEMINAR ON IMMIGRATION AND DUAL CITIZENSHIP LAWS FOR MARRIAGE MIGRANTS AND CHILDREN

PR MTD 35 2024

24 March 2024, Seoul. The Philippine Embassy conducted the first installment of the Know Your Rights and Responsibilities (KYRR) Seminar Series this year on the topic of immigration and dual citizenship for marriage migrants and their children on 24 March 2024 via Zoom and Facebook live. The activity is likewise part of the events in commemoration of National Women’s Month.

In her welcome remarks, Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega said that this installment of the KYRR aligns with the Embassy's Women’s Month initiatives. She emphasized that the webinar is integral to the Embassy's commitment to provide marriage migrants with the essential information and expert advice needed to navigate critical life decisions during their residency in South Korea.

Attended by at least 50 participants via Zoom and viewed online on Facebook more than 300 times by various users, the webinar aims to address the unique challenges faced by marriage migrants and their children in navigating the complexities of migration related laws in Korea. Immigration and dual citizenship experts Atty. Jang Man-Ik, Atty. Lee Dokyung of the Korean Bar Association, and Atty. Purificacion Bartolome-Bernabe of the International Pro Bono Alliance Immigration and dual citizenship laws of the Philippines and Korea, highlighting their respective effects on residency, right to stay, custody, property ownership, right to vote and education opportunities in the Philippines and Korea.

The program was concluded by Consul General Romulo Victor M. Israel, Jr., who invited participants and viewers to upcoming projects of the Embassy aimed towards providing support to marriage migrants and multicultural families, including the Post Arrival Orientation Seminar for newly arrived marriage migrants in South Korea to be held in Gwangju on 6 April 2024; and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas’ Youth Leaders in the Diaspora (YouLead) program, a platform to enable Filipino youth overseas to rediscover their Filipino roots and heritage through a series of lectures, guided tours to scenic and historical landmarks, and interaction with the Filipino community. The next installment of KYRR shall take place in the second quarter of 2024. END