Home > National > Diplomacy

Celebrating 75 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and the Philippines

Published: 06 Mar. 2024, 16:05

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

From left: Seoul Metropolitan Government Chief International Relations Officer Koo Hong-seok, President of the War Memorial of Korea Baek Seung-joo, Deputy Director-General for Asean and South East Asian Affairs Kim Dong-bae, Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega, President and Chair of the Green Growth Institute and former Secretary General of the UN General Assembly Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the Asean-Korea Centre Kim Hae-yong and former Ambassador of Korea to the Philippines Han Dong-man. The group participated in a cake-cutting session during the 75th Anniversary of Philippines-Korea relations event held at Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. [PARK SANG-MOON]

Korea and the Philippines celebrated the 75th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties at an event on Tuesday.

The Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega welcomed honorary guests including the President and Chair of the Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and former Secretary General of the UN General Assembly Ban Ki-moon to the event.

"More than seven decades after the Philippines became the fifth nation to recognize the Republic of Korea on March 3, 1949, our long-standing ties are fortified by our common commitment to democracy, respect for human rights, and a rules-based international order," Ambassador Dizon-De Vega during the ceremony. "Both our countries embraced the democratic pathway as the linchpin of our respective independent, nation-building enterprises. These shared values likewise inform our joint efforts to build a free, peaceful, and prosperous region."

Ban, coming straight from Manila during a visit in which he met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President Asakawa of the Asian Development Bank and several ministers and senators of the Philippines, expressed gratitude to the 7,420 service members who came to the defense of Korea during the Korean War.