Yoon set for talks with Marcos in Philippines

President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) and his wife Kim Keon Hee attends a flower-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial Pylon at the Heroes' Cemetery in Manila, the Philippines on Sunday. (Yonhap)

MANILA, The Philippines -- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday arrived in the Philippines for a state visit, as part of a weeklong trip to three Southeast Asian countries that will culminate in the ASEAN summit later this week.

Yoon is the first South Korean leader to make a state visit to the Philippines in 13 years.

Upon arrival at Manila, the Philippine capital, Yoon attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the Korean War Memorial Pylon at the Heroes' Cemetery in Manila, in memory of the 112 Filipino soldiers who perished during the 1950-53 Korean War. A total of 7,420 Filipino soldiers fought to defend South Korea. Also attending the ceremony were five Filipino veterans of the Korean War.

Yoon was also scheduled to meet overseas Koreans in the Philippines later in the day.

Yoon told the Associated Press in an interview released Sunday that his trip to Southeast Asia was aimed at promoting the denuclearization of North Korea, describing it as a "prerequisite for realizing a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region."

He also reiterated his office's stance that North Korea might carry out its seventh nuclear test soon to "attract attention" in the runup to the US presidential election.

On Monday, Yoon will meet Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila. Marcos' wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos, will also receive Yoon's wife Kim Keon Hee.

According to Yoon's office in Seoul, Yoon and Marcos will hold a document-signing ceremony and a joint press conference, followed by a state lunch hosted by Marcos, who is the son and namesake of the Southeast Asian country's former leader.

Yoon will also attend a business forum jointly hosted by business leaders of the two countries before leaving Manila on the same day.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (third from right) and his wife Kim Keon Hee (second from right) walk along a red carpet as they arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the Philippines, on Sunday. (Yonhap)

Seoul envisions strengthening ties with Manila, especially in security and economic areas.

On the security front, Seoul and Manila may discuss defense cooperation amid tensions between the Philippines and China over the disputed islands in the South China Sea.

"The Philippines has a strong demand to enhance its maritime security, and has a significant interest in defense cooperation with South Korea," an official of the presidential office said on condition of anonymity.

Any security support from South Korea will be in line with Seoul's position that it would not tolerate any unilateral change in the international status quo by force, the source said.

Kim Tae-hyo, first deputy director of the presidential National Security Office, said in a briefing Thursday that there was room for partnership between the two sides, as the Southeast Asian country is rich in minerals and has a large young population, while South Korea possesses advanced technology.

According to Yoon's office, the Philippines is the world's second-biggest nickel producer, and sixth-biggest source of cobalt, based on 2023 figures. The country also achieved an annual gross domestic product growth of 5.6 percent in 2023, becoming the fastest-growing economy in Southeast Asia.

Kim described the Philippines as a "mutually complementary partner for cooperation" with South Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) waves hands before boarding Air Force One with first lady Kim Keon Hee at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Yonhap

Seoul also touted South Korean firms as good partners for the Philippines' infrastructure projects, in line with the Marcos administration's six-year Build Better More initiative.

The presidential office "will provide active support for South Korean firms to win new projects" as the two countries are to discuss ways for mega transportation infrastructure projects deemed crucial for the Philippines' economic growth, Park Chun-sup, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, said in a briefing Thursday.

Park added the two countries will also seek cooperation in agriculture and nuclear energy, among others.

The South Korean delegation may also discuss ways to facilitate the ratification process for the free trade agreement between the two countries.

The Senate of the Philippines ratified the FTA in September, but the deal is still pending approval in the South Korean legislature, where a ratification bill was reintroduced in August for consideration by the new parliament elected earlier this year.

According to Yoon's office, the president will head to Singapore for a state visit after his Manila tour. Yoon will then fly to Laos to attend the ASEAN summit on Wednesday and return home on Friday.

By Son Ji-hyoung(consnow@heraldcorp.com)