South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr agreed to upgrade Philippines-South Korea bilateral ties into a strategic partnership, during President Yoon’s state visit to the Philippines to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

  • According to the agreement, South Korea is committed to support the modernization of Philippine armed forces and continue to cooperate with the Philippines to shape a maritime order that uphold the principles of freedom of navigation and aviation in accordance with international law.

Given the regional challenges faced by both South Korea and the Philippines, their decision to enhance their strategic partnership reflects the necessity of strengthening cooperation to ensure security needs.

  • Over the past year, the Philippines has frequently clashed with China in the South China Sea, while South Korea has been dealing with what some view as “provocative actions” from North Korea [1].
  • The establishment of this strategic partnership not only improves both nations’ maritime capabilities but also holds significant symbolic deterrence value (as some suggest the Philippines might see the partnership as a signal to China that the Philippines has a strong ally [2]).

This upgraded relationship is also expected to pave the way for long-term cooperation between the Philippines and South Korea, thereby reinforcing the US alliance system.

  • Kang Jun-young, a professor of Chinese studies at Hankuk University, noted that both countries are US treaty allies, thus their enhanced partnership will boost security cooperation among the US, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines [3].
  • This aligns with the broader trend of enhancing the US network of allies and partners in the region in a more flexible manner. It allows these nations to maintain their autonomy and form connections based on their own strategic choices, moving away from the traditional "hub-and-spoke" system centered around the US.
An original version of the article was published here.
Translated by DHKN


[1] https://ipdefenseforum.com/2024/10/philippines-south-korea-strengthen-strategic-relationship/

[2] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3282160/philippines-and-south-korea-are-steeling-security-ties-how-will-china-respond?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article 

[3] https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3282160/philippines-and-south-korea-are-steeling-security-ties-how-will-china-respond?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article