11 November 2025 – Seogwipo, Jeju.

Ambassador Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez represented the Philippines at the Commemorative Ceremony for the Completion of 10 ASEAN Benches along the Jeju Olle Trail Route 8: ASEAN–Korea Olle, held on 11 November 2025. The event was organized by the ASEAN-Korea Centre (AKC) with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Olle Foundation as part of ASEAN Week 2025.

The ceremony marked the installation of ten sculptural benches—one for each ASEAN Member State—along the 20-km coastal walking route designated as the ASEAN–Korea Olle in honor of the 35th anniversary of ASEAN–Korea Dialogue Relations and their elevation to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Ambassador Fernandez joined AKC Secretary General Kim Jae-shin, Jeju Vice Governor Kim Ae-sook, Jeju Olle Foundation CEO Ahn Eun-joo, and the ASEAN Ambassadors in unveiling the benches. Designed to echo Jeju’s volcanic landscape, each bench features the ASEAN country’s two-letter ISO code and stands beside Jeju’s symbolic ganse trail markers with QR-linked information.

The Philippine bench, located along the Yerae Coastal Road where freshwater meets the sea, serves as a permanent marker introducing Jeju visitors to Philippine culture and tourism. Its installation supports ASEAN–Korea people-to-people exchanges, enhances Philippine visibility in Jeju, and aligns with the country’s foreign policy goals of strengthening regional partnerships and expanding tourism cooperation.

Photos from the event are shown below.