South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol signs the Guest Book upon his arrival as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos welcome him at Malacañan Palace on Monday, Oct 7, 2024. Yoon was with his spouse Kim Keon-hee for the two-day state visit. Noel Pabalate, PPA pool 

MANILA — The Philippines and South Korea on Monday said they were working to elevate their ties into a strategic partnership, with Manila noting that the move comes as the "geopolitical environment is only becoming more complex."

This diplomatic development "must be as concrete as the foundations from which our bilateral relationships stand," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Malacañang.

"As we chart the future direction of our relations, the way forward is clear: it is time for us to elevate the ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea to a strategic relationship," Marcos said.

"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 and the binding 2016 Arbitral Award," he said.

Yoon underscored that the Philippines and South Korea have a "special bond forged in blood" as the Southeast Asian country sent the "largest contingent of troops to Korea among Asian nations" during the Korean war.

"Based on this special bond forged in blood, our two countries have  closely cooperated over the last 75 years," Yoon said, noting that the "Philippines became the first nation in Southeast Asia to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea."

"Today, we are elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership which will bring our cooperation to a higher level," the South Korea leader said.

"I hope that my state visit will serve as an opportunity not only to further enhance our economic cooperation, but also widening the scope of our partnership to include future-oriented sectors such as security, digital technology and energy," he said.

During the Korean war, the Philippines sent 5 Battalion Combat Teams (BCTs) with 7,420 personnel, with the first unit landing at the port of Busan in September 1950.

Of these Filipino personnel, 116 were killed in action, 299 were wounded and 57 were not found, according to data from the Philippine Embassy in Seoul. 

Marcos Jr. thanked Yoon for flying to Manila as the Philippines and South Korea marked the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

"It is not an overstatement to describe the beginning of these ties as a storied one," the Filipino leader said.

"Our bonds have continued to grow since then. Today, we have a robust partnership in a myriad of fields of cooperation including defense and security, maritime cooperation, trade, development, and people-to-people exchanges. From here, there is nowhere else to go but up," he said.

Yoon said he looked forward to "a fruitful discussion on ways to take great strides in our bilateral cooperation."

In 2022, South Korea ranked as the Philippines fourth largest trading partners, with bilateral trade pegged at $15.45 billion.

READ: PH, South Korea ink deal to expand travel between 2 countries

Last year, the Philippines and South Korea signed a free trade agreement on the sidelines of the 43rd ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

The deal is "expected to remove tariffs on most products from the two countries, opening the door to rapid growth in bilateral trade," according to information from the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

READ: Senate ratifies PH-South Korea free trade agreement