PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is scheduled to mark his first visit to South Korea from June 3 to 5, Malacañang confirmed on Saturday, May 26.

"If I'm not mistaken, [the President will go to Korea] on June 3 to 5," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a radio interview.

Roque said Duterte's visit aims to check the condition of Filipino workers in South Korea.

There are approximately 65,000 Filipinos in South Korea, according to a data from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The Blue House, in a statement released Friday, May 25, announced South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Duterte are set to have "in-depth" dialogue on June 4, which will primarily focus on improving ties between the Philippines and South Korea.

The diplomatic ties between the Philippines and South Korea are established on March 3, 1949.

The Blue House also noted that the two world leaders are expected to discuss ways on enhancing "substantive" collaboration in trade, investment, infrastructure, national defense and the defense industry, agriculture, development cooperation, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

After the meeting, Moon would host an official dinner with Duterte, it added.

"In doing so, it is projected that they will expand the foundation for developing bilateral relations in a more mutually beneficial and forward-looking manner," the Blue House said in a statement uploaded on its official website.

The impending meeting between Duterte and Moon is their second since they met in November 2017, on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Manila, last year's host of the regional bloc's conference.

In a speech delivered on November 13 last year, Duterte encouraged South Korean investors to put up more investments in manufacturing, automotive, food production, processing, agribusiness, electronics and energy sectors.

Moon, for his part, expressed hope last year that the Philippines and South Korea would "further strengthen ties." (SunStar Philippines)