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President Lee holds bilateral talks with presidents of the Philippines, Chile

Published: 31 Oct. 2025, 18:51 Updated: 31 Oct. 2025, 18:52

SEO JI-EUN
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President Lee Jae Myung, right, shakes hands with Chilean President Gabriel Boric at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center, the main venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, on Oct. 31. [PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CORPS]

GYEONGJU, North Gyeongsang — President Lee Jae Myung on Friday held bilateral talks with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Gyeongju on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, where the two leaders reaffirmed their "special friendship" and agreed to deepen cooperation across defense, consular and economic sectors.

“The Philippines is a special ally of the Republic of Korea," Lee said after welcoming his counterpart in Filipino. "When our nation faced hardship during the Korean War, many Filipino troops came to fight alongside us. The Korean people have never forgotten their contribution, dedication and sacrifice."

Lee said he hoped the visit would serve as “an opportunity to take the already close partnership between Korea and the Philippines to a higher and more substantive level.”

Marcos congratulated Lee on successfully hosting the APEC 2025 summit and said he was pleased to see “many of the results we discussed after your election already coming to life.”

According to presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-jun, the two leaders agreed that the Korea-Philippines FTA, which also marks its first year since implementation, has made “tangible contributions” to expanding bilateral economic cooperation and pledged to continue working closely to ensure smooth business operations for Korean companies in the Philippines.

Lee also thanked Marcos for his support in establishing a dedicated “Korean Help Desk” within the Philippine National Police to assist Korean citizens. The two leaders further agreed to strengthen regional cooperation against transnational crimes, including scam networks and cyber-fraud operations.

On strategic industries, both sides committed to advancing collaboration in defense, shipbuilding and infrastructure, building on recent projects involving Korean defense contractors and Philippine modernization programs.

Lee reaffirmed his determination to “open a new era of peace, coexistence, and shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula,” to which Marcos responded that the Philippines — as the next Asean chair — would “actively cooperate to support lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

Marcos also invited Lee to visit the Philippines soon, and Lee replied, “I fully agree and look forward to visiting at the earliest opportunity.”

President Lee Jae Myung, right, shakes hands with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Gyeongju Hwabaek International Convention Center, the main venue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, on Oct. 31. [PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CORPS]

Following the summit with the Philippine president, Lee held a bilateral meeting with Chilean President Gabriel Boric — the sole leader from Latin America to participate — during which the two leaders agreed to expand cooperation in core minerals, renewable energy and cultural industries, while strengthening coordination at the UN and in other multilateral arenas.

Welcoming Boric on his first visit to Korea after a nearly 36-hour journey, Lee noted that Chile has long been a "special partner" for Korea, as the first country in Latin America to recognize Korea and the first to sign an FTA. Lee also called for “mutually beneficial approaches” in the ongoing FTA improvement talks.

He added that Chile “has established itself as a key cooperation partner in Latin America and a model democracy,” expressing hope that the visit would “further deepen and broaden bilateral relations.”

Boric noted that both nations share similar democratic histories, with Korea restoring democracy in 1987 and Chile following in 1988.

“Chile and Korea are very close in terms of trade and diplomacy,” he said, adding that Chile remains “strongly committed to upgrading our FTA,” which has been in place since the early 2000s.

According to the presidential spokesperson, the two leaders agreed that combining Korea’s manufacturing and technological capabilities with Chile’s abundant energy and mineral resources would create strong synergy for both economies.

The two leaders also pledged to strengthen coordination in multilateral forums, including close cooperation ahead of the fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, which Korea and Chile aim to co-host following discussions at the upcoming UN General Assembly in December.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]