PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, November 13, expressed satisfaction over the "positive developments" in the Korean peninsula in the past months.

In his intervention during his working dinner with Southeast Asian leaders in Singapore, Duterte was optimistic that "lasting peace and stability" would flourish amid commitment of North Korea and South Korea to stop denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"The Philippines welcomes positive developments in recent months in the Korean Peninsula," Duterte said.

"We urge concerned parties to continue working towards the realization of lasting peace and stability, and reiterate our support for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Peninsula," he added.

Tensions elevated on Korean peninsula over the decades amid North Korea's ballistic missile program.

Pyongyang's tests of nuclear weapons that pose global security risks have caused "grave concern" among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

In April, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in made a historic move when they signed a declaration that seeks "peace, prosperity, and unification" of the Korean peninsula, thus putting an end to decades-long conflict in the region.

Two months after, Kim and United States President Donald Trump vowed to work toward a "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula during their landmark June summit in Singapore. (SunStar Philippines)