Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina A. Roque recently convened with His Excellency Sang-hwa Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, to streamline preparations for the high-profile State Visit of the President of the Republic of Korea.
The meeting underscores a pivotal moment in bilateral relations, focusing on elevating the economic partnership between the two nations through structured high-level engagements and long-term industrial cooperation.
A centerpiece of the upcoming State Visit is the Philippines–Korea Business Forum. Secretary Roque and Ambassador Lee discussed the strategic coordination of this event, which aims to gather titans of industry and leading business conglomerates from both Seoul and Manila.
The forum is designed to catalyze:
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Joint Ventures: Facilitating direct networking between Filipino MSMEs and Korean tech giants.
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Investment Pledges: Formalizing agreements in manufacturing and digital infrastructure.
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Market Access: Discussing the optimization of the Philippines-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Beyond the forum, the leaders explored a roadmap for sustained economic synergy, identifying three critical pillars:
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Trade & Investment: Leveraging Korea’s advanced manufacturing expertise to bolster the Philippines’ industrial supply chain.
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Energy Development: Exploring partnerships in renewable energy and nuclear power technology to support the Philippines’ growing energy demands.
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Critical Minerals: Collaborating on the processing and value-addition of mineral resources essential for the global electric vehicle (EV) transition. “The Philippines and South Korea share a rich history of cooperation. As we prepare for this State Visit, our goal is to translate diplomatic goodwill into tangible economic opportunities that drive innovation and create jobs for Filipinos,” said DTI Secretary Cristina A. Roque.
This meeting comes at a time of increased momentum for Philippines-Korea relations. With South Korea remaining one of the Philippines’ top trading partners and a significant source of Official Development Assistance (ODA), the upcoming State Visit is expected to solidify a “Strategic Partnership” status between the two countries.
