KOREA BULLETIN The official publication of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea
FROM
THE
JULY 2016
AMBASSADOR‘S
DESK
KIM Jae-shin, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary
When Rodrigo Roa Duterte took his oath of office on June 30 as the 16th President of the Philippines, everyone had high hopes that a change for the better was, indeed, coming. I had the privilege to meet President Duterte last June 2 in Davao City, where we spoke of mutual cooperation in a number of fields toward expanding bilateral relations between Korea and the Philippines. I expressed optimism that, under his leadership, the Philippines will continue to develop further. For my part, I extended the Korean government’s vow to help him achieve his famous anti-crime policy by donating police equipment, such as patrol cars and motorbikes. It would be a donation worth US$6.6 million. Since the Philippines is a prime destination for Korean investors and tourists, I assured President Duterte that Korea will fully support and cooperate with his administration’s plan to stamp out crime and drugs. A better law and order situation will guarantee a safer environment for Korean nationals in the Philippines, including around 4,000 tourists that arrive every day. In addition, we discussed economic development, since Korean companies have interests in infrastructure, transportation, and agriculture. These same issues were the topics of conversation during my courtesy visit to Vice President Maria Leonor Santo Tomas
Gerona Robredo on July 5. The Vice President said she placed great value on the cooperative relationship between the two countries and wished to learn many things from Korea. She added that the Philippines has enjoyed high growth rates over the last six years with an average of 6% annually, and that efforts will be made to ensure that this trend continues. Vice President Robredo also acknowledged the Korean government’s efforts in operating ODA grant programs in the Philippines through KOICA, and commented that she looks forward to future cooperation in food security, medical treatment, education, and rural development. In line with this, I reminded the Vice President that bilateral relations between Korea and the Philippines are rooted in the deep friendship that formed more than 65 years ago, when Filipino soldiers bravely and selflessly joined the Korean War to preserve our freedom and sovereignty. Through the years, this friendship has become even stronger and has entered other areas of cooperation, such as the humanitarian assistance extended to the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda that devastated many parts of the Visayas in 2013. Last June 17, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the Reconstruction of the Visayas State University in Tolosa. This project is one of the
important components of the endeavor to help in the recovery of the affected areas. When the project is finally completed, students and professors of VSU will have a better environment for education in a new Administration and Lecture Building with adequate facilities. On a smaller scale, the Korean Embassy, together with the United Korean Communities Association and Korean companies in Cavite, brought some clothes and other necessary goods for the victims of a fire that destroyed homes in Taguig City last May. Even now, I hope that the damages they suffered will be recovered at the earliest time, and that our modest contribution will be helpful in rebuilding their lives. The closeness between Koreans and Filipinos is further exhibited in people-to-people and cultural exchange. From January to April, around 480,000 Korean tourists visited the Philippines, which accounted for about 25% of all arrivals and making Koreans continue to be number one among foreign visitors to this country. Then, following the 22nd Asian Taekwondo Championships held in Manila last April, the Soul of Korea: Taekwondo exhibit was inaugurated at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) on June 9. It is the first of its kind to be held in the Philippines. It is also heartwarming to know that more and more Filipinos are showing interest, not only in Taekwondo, K-Pop, Ko-
KOREA BULLETIN
rean food, Koreanovelas, and beauty products, but also in other aspects of Korean culture and studies. Last April 27, the Philippines-Korean Research Centre (PKRC@UP) was opened at the University of the Philippines through the combined efforts of UP, the Academy of Korean Studies, and the Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia. I believe that the centre will certainly benefit Filipino scholars eager to learn about Korea. The Ateneo Initiative for Korean Studies (AIKS), which was established in April 2012, has likewise been active in promoting Korean culture and studies in this country. Apart from the regular lectures about Korean history and language, AIKS and KCC cohosted the Korean Speech Contest last April 30 at the Ateneo de Manila University. The opening of the Prof. Djun Kil Kim Korean Studies Collection Shelves last June 24 at the University of Asia and the Pacific is another fine illustration of the growing interest in Korean studies. UA&P developed the Korean Studies program and continuously expanded it by inviting experts from the best universities around the world. With these encouraging developments in many aspects of Philippine-Korea relations, I am confident that the ties that bind our nations and our peoples will endure and become even stronger in the years to come.
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