On Monday in Manila, the Philippines and South Korea formally elevated their bilateral relationship to a “strategic partnership,” an upgrade entailing more co-operation between coast guards and a greater joint focus on tourism, supply chains, and nuclear energy.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited Manila to meet with his counterpart, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on his way to Laos for the ASEAN summit. At a press conference following the leaders’ meeting, Yoon was optimistic, stating that he “witnessed the infinite potential of Korea-Philippines relations.”
The agreement comes after the Philippines strengthened maritime security ties with Vietnam in August.
Loathe thy neighbour?
Both Manila and Seoul face threats from their neighbours, and are building on the region’s pre-existing, U.S.-led ‘latticework’ of defence and security partnerships, which include the ‘Squad,’ AUKUS, and more informal U.S.-South Korea-Philippines co-operation.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — occasional thorns in the sides of South Korea and the Philippines — exchanged congratulations this week over the 75th anniversary of China-North Korea diplomatic relations, which Xi said was of “epoch-making significance.”
Yoon and Marcos also both have an interest in ensuring the South China Sea remains free and open. Chinese coast guard vessels continue to clash with Philippine and Vietnamese vessels in the disputed waters; as recently as Tuesday, Manila accused Chinese coast guard vessels of firing water cannons at Philippine vessels near a disputed shoal.
