Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo had a full schedule of meetings and engagements with various organizations during his official visit to the Republic of Korea from 6 to 9 August 2024. Central to these meetings is the Philippines' priority of creating stronger policy engagements and fostering close people-to-people ties with the Republic of Korea.

SFA Manalo engaged premiere ROK policy experts, ASEAN diplomats, and heads of international organizations during a roundtable co-organized by the Philippine Embassy in Seoul and the Seoul National University Asia Center where the Secretary emphasized a strong convergence between the four strategic considerations identified by President Marcos, Jr. and the premise of President Yoon's vision for a "Global Pivotal State" on foreign policy and upholding the rules-based international order. The Secretary's full remarks may be accessed through the link: https://dfa.gov.ph/statement-remarks-apc/35294-remarks-of-the-secretary-for-foreign-affairs-enrique-a-manalo-roundtable-at-seoul-national-university-snu-asia-center-07-august-2024-seoul-republic-of-korea.

While in the Republic of Korea, SFA Manalo also met with representative members of the Filipino community in South Korea across different fields--including international organizations, business, defense, climate change and green growth, government, migrant workers centers, academe, entertainment and the arts, faith-based communities, and the labor sector. The Philippines is proud to contribute to shaping the multicultural narrative of South Korea through the exemplary achievements of many of our Filipino workers, professionals, religious and civic leaders, marriage migrants, academics, international civil servants, and students in the country.

Members of the Philippine Embassy also had a brief opportunity to meet the Secretary. The Philippine Embassy in Seoul is a recipient of the Department of Foreign Affairs' Best Organization Award 2024, a recognition bestowed by the Secretary himself.

SFA Manalo also sat down for several interviews with the Korean press, where he discussed the opportunities for elevated ties and closer cooperation between the Philippines and South Korea on foreign policy, trade and investment, people-to-people relations and our 75-year partnership. END