Yoon at Korea-Philippines Summit: "Expecting Solidarity for Cooperation and Peace in Nuclear Power, Defense, and Infrastructure"

President Yoon Urges Support for Korean Companies' Participation in Various Infrastructure Projects in the Philippines
President Marcos Emphasizes Hope for Cooperation in Green Technology Sector

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Phnom Penh (Cambodia) = Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 13th, President Yoon Suk-yeol took the opportunity of attending the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit to discuss ways to develop bilateral relations, the Korean Peninsula issue, and Korea-ASEAN cooperation with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos.

In his opening remarks, President Yoon mentioned that the Philippines was the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic relations with Korea (in 1949) and that it sent over 7,400 troops during the Korean War, emphasizing, "The Philippines is our ally. Our people will never forget the noble sacrifices of the Filipino youth for freedom and peace."

He continued, "The two countries, sharing the values of democracy and market economy, hope to expand cooperation in various fields including nuclear power, defense, arms industry, and infrastructure, and to stand in solidarity for regional peace and prosperity."

He also wished for the swift recovery of the Philippines, which recently suffered typhoon damage, and expressed gratitude for the Philippines’ condolences regarding the 'Itaewon crowd crush tragedy.'

According to the presidential office, President Yoon welcomed the Philippine side’s proposal for cooperation related to the resumption of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and expressed hope that concrete consultations would proceed swiftly.

President Yoon also requested support to enable Korean companies to participate and contribute to various infrastructure expansion projects the Philippines is promoting, including smart city construction.

President Marcos, through an interpreter, stated, "It is now time to discuss elevating bilateral relations to a strategic partnership," adding, "I believe joint cooperation in science, technology, and maritime fields will contribute to this."

He also referred to the Korea Indo-Pacific Strategy unveiled by President Yoon at the Korea-ASEAN Summit the previous day, emphasizing, "This is now the Indo-Pacific era. I fully agree with President Yoon’s assessment."

At the meeting, President Marcos highly evaluated the excellent competitiveness of Korean nuclear power and expressed expectations for nuclear cooperation between the two countries. He also emphasized his hope for cooperation with Korea in green technology in addition to nuclear cooperation, in response to changes in the energy industry structure caused by climate change.

The two leaders also shared concerns over the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to North Korea’s continuous provocations and agreed to strengthen cooperation to bring North Korea back to the path of denuclearization talks.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.