KOREA BULLETIN The official publication of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea
FROM
THE
NOVEMBER 2016
AMBASSADOR‘S
DESK
KIM Jae-shin, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary
Time has certainly gone by so quickly. Another year has passed and now, I find myself greeting you all again an advanced Merry Christmas. And once more, I wish to congratulate the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) for publishing this issue of the Korea Bulletin. As in the past few years since it opened its doors to Filipinos, the KCC has been busy organizing events that bridge the gap between Korea and the Philippines through cultural exposure and exchange. Since August, the KCC has held the Royal Palace Exhibit (which will run until November 18), the 2016 Korean Film Festival at the SM cinemas and Philippines Korea Cultural Exchange Festival at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, as well as the ASEAN Master Craft Designers Festival at the World Trade Center,
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and the K-Ribbon Selection Exhibit at the Shangri-la Mall. It also facilitated the holding of the 7th KoSASA Biennial Conference. KoSASA stands for Korean Studies Association of Southeast Asia, and is under the leadership of University of the Philippines President Dr. Alfredo Pascual. And before October ended, I attended the 3rd Ateneo Korean Studies Conference, organized by Ateneo de Manila University, where former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. was the Keynote speaker in the event which had the theme, “Revisiting the Korean War: History, memory and its implications on contemporary nationbuilding.” The KoSASA conference reminded me of just how closely-linked Korea and the Philippines are. It was a
SMC, K-Water Start Angat Dam Rehab
when the close relations between Korea and the Philippines can really help in the country’s recovery efforts. Infrastructure and agriculture happen to be two areas where cooperation between the two countries has been steadily growing. And like I said during our National Day reception, Korea is committed to further deepen relations with the Philippines through extended cooperation in diverse fields, including political, economic and socio-cultural areas for our mutual benefit. Toward this end, Korea will also closely work with the Philippines as 2017 ASEAN country chair for a successful summit next year. Lastly, I wish every Korean and Filipino the merriest Christmas and the most peaceful, prosperous, and hopeful New Year.
Korean gov’t inaugurates 3 Iloilo public hospitals
Philippines, Korea to Strengthen Agricultural Ties AG&P to invest in Korean firm GAS Entec
PH hosts 7th KoSASA conference
validation of the same joyous spirit of camaraderie that I experienced on Korea National Foundation Day which is commemorated each year on October 3. At our rainy celebration last October 11, I had the opportunity to apply something I recently learned about Filipino customs – that in the Philippines, the rain is a blessing when it falls during a special occasion. I am getting used to the wet and dry seasons of the Philippines, but I am not particularly fond of the storms. So far, ten typhoons have entered the country since August, with typhoon Lawin (Haima) being the most destructive. Although the casualty was low, nearly 30,000 families in Northern Luzon were affected and the damage to infrastructure and agriculture reached around P650 million. It is during times like this
Ateneo hosts ‘Window on Korea’
Korean Embassy holds Korea National Day and Armed Forces Day Reception
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Filipino and Korean Talents Shine at the 2016 Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival
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PH hosts 7th KoSASA conference
The University of the Philippines (UP), together with the Academy of Korean Studies, recently held the 7th Korean Studies Association of South-
east Asia (KoSASA) Biennial Conference from September 28 to 30, 2016, at the Novotel Manila and UP Diliman campus. This year’s theme “Globali-
zation of Korean Studies: Strategic Cooperation in Research and Education between Southeast Asia and Korea” discussed important issues which affect Korean society, culture and economy. Challenges to media studies, culture, economic development; business and public sector reform; as well as social changes and development was also tackled in the conference. The three-day conference was attended by university scholars from the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Malaysia. Scholars from Australia, Japan and Korea also at-
tended the conference. KOSASA is an organization of universities and educational institutions which promotes academic cooperation between Korea and Southeast Asian countries. Established in 2004, the association has held conferences in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2014. These conferences do not only serve as gatherings of scholars from all over the region, but also as a venue for the promotion of Korean Studies. This year’s conference was hosted by UP and UP President Alfredo E. Pascual was the conference chair.
Philippines, Korea to Strengthen Agricultural Ties Ambassador KIM Jae Shin and Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol expressed mutual gratitude for the existing trade relations between the Philippines and Korea. During Ambassador KIM’s courtesy call at the Department of Agriculture (DA) Central Office last July 27, 2016, Secretary Piñol thanked the Kore-
an government for providing a steadily growing robust market for Philippine agricultural commodities such as bananas and pineapples which are usually harvested from Mindanao. Secretary Piñol also opened up to the Ambassador KIM the possibility of supplying organically raised chicken to the Korean market.
AG&P to invest in Korean firm GAS Entec Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Co. (AG&P) has announced its investment in Korean firm GAS Entec for small- and mid-scale liquefied natural gas (LNG) applications. The said investment will aid in the shift to cleaner power source, particularly in Indonesia and the Philippines. AG&P’s investment in the Korean firm will provide a suite of onshore and floating products for the distribution and use of LNG, such as LNG storage, regasification, LNG fuel bunkering, LNG-fueled power solutions, next-generation mooring structures and cold storage applications. GAS Entec CEO KWAK Chong-Ho said both companies will deliver the full design, engineering, construction and assembly, including the integra-
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tion of sub-components such as cargo handling and control systems for various small-andmid scale LNG vessels. “Operating as an integrated, one-stop-shop, we will bridge the critical gap in LNG distribution and its applications globally. We remain an engineering company that can work with any customer, but the partnership with AG&P allows certainty, speed and commercially reasonable terms for our customers,” said KWAK. Meanwhile, AG&P’s Chairman, Jose P Leviste Jr. said standardized and tailored LNG products to be developed jointly by AG&P and GAS Entec would be available quickly and affordably as these will be built in its manufacturing facilities or locally at shipyards throughout the world. (http://agp.ph/)
Ambassador KIM Jae Shin and Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol. (Photo from http://www.da.gov.ph/)
SMC, K-Water Start Angat Dam Rehab San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water) started its P1-billion Angat Dam rehabilitation project on September after securing the approval of affected indigenous community, according to the National Power Corp. (Napocor). Angat Hydropower Corp. (AHC) has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Dumagat tribe, represented by tribal governor Salvador Cruz and tribal vice governor Norma Roque. The MOA includes the relocation of 15 Dumagat families and provision for their houses, while livelihood programs will be provided by AHC, Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) and Napocor to the Dumagat community.
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AHC has earlier reported it secured an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources last June and completed all the pre-construction works last July. SMC and K-Water sealed their partnership to rehabilitate Angat Dam and the 218-megawatt Angat Hydroelectric Power Plant (AHPP) in June 2015. AHC has tapped US-based Poyry for consultancy services on the dam upgrade. The project is part of Angat Dam and Dyke strengthening project, which also includes the upgrade of the Flood Forecasting and Warning System for Dam Operation. The rehab project also aims to make the facility withstand a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, among others.
Korean Embassy holds Korea National Day and Armed Forces Day Reception
Ambassador Kim Jae Shin (left) together with Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo and Papua New Guinea Ambassador Christian Anthony Vihruri.
The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines celebrated its National and Armed Forces Day last October 11 at the Korean Ambassador’s residence. Ambassador KIM Jae Shin, led the ceremonies together with the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Enrique Manalo and Papua New Guinea Ambassador Christian Anthony Vihruri. In his speech, Ambassador KIM assured that the Korean government will maintain its strong bilateral relationship with the Philippines. “The Korean and Philippine governments agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in the coming years. In the economic field, our government would like to see Korean companies actively participate in diverse economic projects initiated by the new administration,” said Ambassador KIM. Early this year, Ambassador KIM paid a visit to Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to deliver President PARK’s congratulatory message. The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with Korea in 1949. The following year, Korea’s freedom and democracy were threatened due to the unprovoked invasion from North Korea. The Philippines was the first Asian country to send its troops, the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea or PEFTOK, providing the
fourth largest military contingent under the UN Command. Korea and the Philippines have contributed to developing peace and prosperity in the region through close cooperation; however, North Korea threatened peace and stability by carrying out two nuclear tests on the Korean Peninsula where many Filipinos live, and launching several ballistic missiles. The Philippines released strong statements condemning North Korea’s wrongdoing and joined collective efforts in addressing its provocations on the international stage. Likewise, he noted the active people-to-people exchange activities of both countries. In 2015 reportedly 1.34 million Koreans visited the Philippines. For the first half of 2016, almost 700,000 Koreans came to the Philippines. Similarly, more and more Filipinos have visited and worked in Korea. Ending his speech, Ambassor KIM promises to assist the Philippines in the upcoming ASEAN summit in 2017, which will be hosted by the Philippines. “Korea will closely work with the chair country Philippines for a successful 2017 ASEAN summit. Korea promises to deepen relations with the Philippines through extended cooperation in diverse fields, including political, economic and socio-cultural areas for our mutual benefit,” said Ambassador KIM.
Korean gov’t inaugurates 3 Iloilo public hospitals
The Korean Government successfully turned over the three hospitals under the Iloilo Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) Health System Strengthening Project to Iloilo provincial government. The project includes the construction of the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC) facilities and provision of equipment to three district hospitals, namely, Aleosan District Hospital in Alimodian, Dr. Ricardo S. Provido Memorial District Hospital in Calinog, and Jesus M. Colmenares Memorial District Hospital in Balasan. The ceremonial turn-over of the newly-completed CEmONC facilities last Sptember 27, 2016 at Aleosan District Hospital Ambassador KIM Jae Shin. In his message, Ambassador
Kim emphasized that healthcare is one of the priority areas of Korean development cooperation in the Philippines. Iloilo GIDA Health System Project is a US$7 million grant from KOICA and the Republic of Korea which primarily aims to strengthen the maternal and child health service delivery system of the three recipient district hospitals and the Rural Health Units (RHUs) of nine municipalities, namely, Alimodian, Leon, San Miguel, Calinog, Bingawan, Balasan, Batad, Estancia and Carles. The project’s implementation started in 2014. Aside from the construction of CEmONC facilities and provision of equipment, a number of health personnel were also sent to Korea to undergo training and capacity building.
The National Library of Korea, KCC, the Ateneo Korean Studies Program and the Rizal Library hosted the 2016 Window on Korea Event from October 10 to 13, 2016 at Ateneo De Manila University Leong Hall.
The event aims to promote the university’s Korean Studies collection and encourage scholarship on Korea by featuring diverse aspects of contemporary Korean culture through a series of activities and seminars.
Ateneo hosts ‘Window on Korea’
2016 HRD Korea Job Fair Human Resources Development (HRD) Service of Korea recently conducted its networking and job-fair at Aim Conference Center last October 13, 2016. Filipino workers with Employment Permit System (EPS) who have worked previously in Korea attended the said job fair. The event is divided into two sessions. The first session intro-
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duced local settlement projects for Filipino workers who just returned back from Korea. The second session was a seminar for those who are interested to return to work in Korea. Lastly, previous Filipino workers in Korea shared their work and living experiences while staying in Korea to the Job Fair participants.
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art & culture
Filipino and Korean Talents Shine at the 2016 Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival In celebration of Philippine and Korean culture, Filipinos and Koreans came together once again at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last October 15 for the 2016 Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival. Organized by the Embassy of Republic of Korea, Korean Cultural Center (KCC) together with United Korean Community Association in the Philippines (UKCA), National Commission for Culture and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), CCP and ABS-CBN Orchestra, the 2016 Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange Festival aims to showcase performances that best reflect the vibrant culture of the two countries. The five-hour festival was composed of two parts: the Concert for Peace and the K-Pop Contest. In his welcome remarks, Korean Ambassador KIM Jae-Shin said that the festival has been a “very ef-
fective way” of communicating and sharing the common value of our two countries’ culture. “I do wish to promote friendship and achieve unity between Filipinos and Koreans through “2016 PhilippinesKorea Cultural Exchange Festival,” said Ambassador KIM. The Concert for Peace was opened with a powerful performances from the Serotonin Performing Arts Company and Seoul National University (SNU) Korean Music Ensemble. ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metro Manila Concert Orchestra then joined the SNU Korean Music Ensemble to perform the Korean classic “Arirang,” which was conducted by Gerard Salonga. Performances of soprano Park Min Jung and bass baritone Lee Sung Min followed. To conclude the concert, a 330-member chorus which was
‘Opulence’ exhibit features Korean traditional royal artworks
composed of both Filipino and Korean participants, was joined by soprano Rachelle Gerodias-Park, alto Krissan Manikan Tan, tenor Arthur Espiritu and baritone Park Byeong In in performing Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The 330-chorus singing together at one stage is a significant event for both countries. This collaboration showed the stronger ties between the Filipinos and Koreans. The second part of the event was the K-Pop competition. Derrick Monasterio, singer Yohan, and idol group The King captivated the
crowd with their song numbers. Tagalog and Korean Speech Contest finalists also kept the audience engaged and entertained. Three cover groups and seven singers battled it out onstage to emerge as the champion. Cover group PHP won the grand prize with their fiery dance remix number, while Anna Jean Fernandez (“You Are My Everything” by Gummy), cover group F.S.E. (dance remix), and Sofia Therise Capili (“Arirang”) bagged the first, second, and third prizes.
SM Megamall was the last stop of the 2016 Korean Film Festival. Five Korean movies unreeled at Cinema 6 of SM Megamall from October 13 to 16. Korean Movies screened were “Ode to My Father”, “Beauty inside”, “Confession of Murder”, “How to use guys with secret tips” and “The Suspect.” The festival first opened at SM City Clark Pampanga and moved
to the cities of Davao, Iloilo, Cebu and Cavite. The Korean Film Festival is presented by Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines (KCC) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Philippines and is supported by Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the Film Cultural Exchange Program and Korean Film Council.
Korean Film Festival concludes in Manila with ‘Ode to My Father’
Korea’s Outstanding Products on display at ‘K-Ribbon Selection’ exhibit Korean traditional artworks, historical items, and portraits of the previous kings are some of the artworks displayed at the recently opened exhibit of the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) titled, “Opulence: The Art of Korean Royal Palace.” The exhibit aims to present the Korean cultural heritage through the reinterpretation of the artworks inside the royal palaces during the Joseon dynasty. 19 artworks created by the artists from National University of Cultural Heritage (NUCH) in Korea are displayed in the exhibit. Korean Ambassador KIM JaeShin, in his welcome remarks, expressed his delight to witness the popularity of Korean culture in the Philippines. He added that upon
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his arrival in the country April last year, he was surprised to see the Filipinos’ positive reception towards Korean cultural-related activities. “Today’s exhibition is a very good opportunity to show the beauty of our traditional art. We will try to continue this kind of opportunity to introduce our culture more to the Filipinos,” said Ambassador KIM. “We have high hopes that this exhibit would be a meaningful step in introducing Korea’s history and traditions to the international community”, KCC OH Choong Suk said. The exhibit is co-organized by NUCH in Korea and is KCC’s third exhibit for 2016. The exhibit will run until November 18 at the KCC Exhibition Hall. Admission is free.
In an effort to increase Korea’s culture and brand awareness, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korean Embassy and Korean Cultural Center (KCC) will open the “K-Ribbon Selection” Exhibit on November 2 Wednesday 5PM at Shangri-La Mall Plaza Grand Atrium, Mandaluyong City. Korean cultural products including cultural contents, (animation and comic characters), hanbok (Korean traditional clothes), Korean Fashion, Korean traditional handicrafts, and Korean cuisine will be on display at the exhibit. The K-Ribbon Selection is the Korean government’s flagship event to showcase the excellent cultural products that carry the cultural value of Korea. Represented by its unique mark inspired by the
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Hanbok string (traditional Korean clothes), the K-Ribbon certification system offers organized brand marketing support to cultural products deemed to best represent Korea. K-Ribbon Selection covers cultural products that can represent Korea. It also marks cultural products that possess “Korea’s unique cultural values.” Alongside with the K-Ribbon Selection, a ‘K-Food Open Kitchen’ and ‘Royal Heritage Craft Exhibition’ will also be held at the same venue. Korean Food tasting will also be available from November 5 to 6. The exhibit will be available from November 2 to 8 from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM at Shangri-La Mall Grand Atrium. Admission is Free.