Seoul – Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Luis T. Cruz reported to the Department that,

in line with the Philippine Embassy’s continuing effort to promote teamwork, staff development and environmental awareness, the Embassy organized a hiking trip to Mt. Soyo with the ASEAN Mountaineering Club (AMC) on 12 April 2008. Mt. Soyo is situated in Gyeonggi-do, about one hour from Seoul. Hiking is a very popular activity in South Korea. With the arrival of spring, thousands trek to nearby mountains every weekend both as a healthy physical activity and an affordable pastime. A total of 25 people from the Embassy joined the AMC, which is composed of hiking enthusiasts from Hankook Research, a private research firm, and members of the ASEAN Committee in Seoul. Participants from the Embassy included family members as well as staff from attached agencies.