Manila, Seoul join forces to boost WPS presence
The Philippines and South Korea have agreed to strengthen their joint presence in the tension-filled West Philippine Sea (WPS) in what President Marcos described as part of elevating the two countries’ ties into a “strategic partnership” amid growing security challenges in the region.
President Marcos met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Malacañang where they discussed a range of issues, including tensions in the South China Sea and on the Korean Peninsula, and witnessed the signing of several agreements on maritime cooperation between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Korea Coast Guard (KCG) and on nuclear energy.
“Today, I am pleased to announce that the Philippines and the Republic of Korea have formally elevated our relations to a strategic partnership, adding further impetus to the strengthening and deepening of our cooperation in an increasingly complex geopolitical and economic environment,” the President said in his statement during a joint press conference with Yoon.
According to Mr. Marcos, the idea of a “strategic relationship” between the Philippines and Korea must be “as concrete as the foundations from which our bilateral relationships stand.”
“As the geopolitical environment is only becoming more complex, we must work together to achieve prosperity for our peoples and to promote a rules-based order governed by international law, including the 1982 Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” he said.
He was referring to the UN arbitral ruling on a case lodged by the Philippines that nullified China’s historical claims established by the so-called nine-dash line that encroached into the WPS. —WITH A REPORT FROM JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE
