President Lee Jae Myung heads to Philippines for summit talks

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Published: 03 Mar. 2026, 09:34

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a state dinner hosted by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at Capella Singapore on March 2. [YONHAP]

President Lee Jae Myung is set to wrap up his trip to Singapore and fly to Manila for summit talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation.

It will mark Lee's second summit with Marcos following their first meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in late October.

The two leaders are expected to explore ways to deepen cooperation in the defense industry, infrastructure and trade, as well as in promising sectors including nuclear power, shipbuilding, critical minerals and artificial intelligence, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said.

Lee paid a three-day state visit to Singapore, during which he held summit talks with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to discuss ways to forge closer economic ties and attended the AI Connect Summit to discuss AI cooperation between the two Asian tech powerhouses.

Cheong Wa Dae expressed hope that Lee's two-nation trip will promote coordination with key members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on the international stage and help pave the way for deeper ties with the regional bloc.

Lee is set to return home on Wednesday.

Yonhap