President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee pay tribute to the Korean Memorial Pylon, a monument that commemorates 112 fallen Philippine soldiers during the Korean War, at the Cemetery of the Heroes in Manila, Sunday. Yonhap
MANILA, Philippines — President Yoon Suk Yeol paid tribute to 112 fallen Philippine soldiers who fought and lost their lives during the Korean War as the first official engagement of his state visit to the Southeast Asian country, which began on Sunday afternoon.
The Philippines is the first stop on the Korean president's six-day itinerary, which also includes visits to Singapore and Laos before concluding on Friday. This marks the first state visit by a Korean president to the Philippines in 13 years and coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Upon Yoon's arrival in Manila at around 2:30 p.m., he proceeded to the Cemetery of the Heroes, also known as the Heroes Cemetery, in Taguig, southern Manila.
There, he visited the Korean Memorial Pylon, a monument dedicated to 112 Filipino soldiers who lost their lives during the Korean War. Former President Lee Myung-bak also paid his respects at the memorial during his state visit in 2011.
President Yoon Suk Yeol holds the hands of a Korean War veteran, expressing gratitude for his military service, during his visit to the Korean Memorial Pylon at the Cemetery of the Heroes in southern Manila, the Philippines, Sunday. Yonhap
The Philippines dispatched a total of 7,420 soldiers to the Korean War that took place nearly seven decades ago. These soldiers are referred to as the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea.
The names of the 112 fallen soldiers are inscribed on the memorial, alongside inscriptions by former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and former Korean President Park Chung-hee, honoring their sacrifice.
Yoon encouraged war veterans and the descendants of fallen soldiers, shaking their hands and saying, "Please stay healthy. Thank you."
One war veteran shared with Yoon that he had fought in every major battle involving the Philippine military and expressed pride in his service.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, the Philippines, Sunday (local time), to begin a two-day state visit to the Southeast Asian country. Yonhap
After honoring the fallen veterans, Yoon met members of the Korean community in Manila and encouraged their contributions to the Philippine economy. The history of Koreans migrating to the Philippines dates back over 100 years, with the association of Koreans in the Philippines officially established in 1967.
On Monday, Yoon and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. are scheduled to hold a bilateral summit to discuss ways to enhance their cooperation across various levels.
The partnership between the two countries is expected to expand further, particularly in areas such as transportation infrastructure projects, smart farming collaboration, and nuclear power development.
“The Philippines has shown the highest economic growth rate among ASEAN countries lately. With its population of over 112 million, along with the country's vast amount of significant natural resources such as nickel and cobalt, the country is an important partner that can create a much synergy when cooperating with the technologies of Korea,” Park Chun-sup, senior economic presidential secretary, pointed out.
President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee receive flower bouquets from children during his meeting with the Korean community at a hotel in Manila, the Philippines, Sunday. Yonhap
Monday's summit will be followed by the two presidents signing a cooperative memorandum of understanding and a state luncheon that political and business leaders of the two countries will attend.
Yoon is scheduled to wrap up his state visit to the country with the Korea-Philippines Business Forum on Monday.