KOREAN Ambassador Han Dong-Man assured better diplomatic ties with the Philippines as it vowed to be a vital partner of the country during calamities and disasters.
In his speech before the cadets of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-Man reiterated their country’s appreciation of the Philippines’ support to their country particularly during the Korean War.
“After the inter-Korean summit, the Philippine government particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) adopted a very positive answer saying that the Philippines is looking forward to the big progress of the Korean Peninsula,” Ambassador Han said.
Aside from the positive outlook of the Philippine government for the future of the two Koreans now undergoing a peace summit, it reported South Korea’s continuous support to the Philippines particularly during calamities and disasters.
“When I met Senator Richard Gordon who is the chairman of the Philippines Red Cross for the first time during the eruption of Mayon Volcano, the Korean government provided a financial support in US dollars as a token of our appreciation,” the ambassador said.
The Korean official recalled how the Philippines provided engineers and technical experts in the 70s to help build infrastructure.
“There is a saying in Korea, a friend in need is a friend indeed. That’s why when you faced some natural disasters, Korea continued to help Filipino people,” the Korean envoy stated.
Han also vowed to bring in more than two million Korean tourists this year after 1.58 million visited various tourist destinations last year.
“Koreans ranked number one among foreign arrivals but I met President (Rodrigo) Duterte and I made a promise to bring up to two million tourists to the Philippines,” he said, adding that Baguio City remains one of the top destinations for Koreans due to its cool climate.