Dimensions of Closer Ties Between the Philippines and South Korea: Strategic Partnership

Military and economic cooperation between South Korea and the Philippines has advanced significantly amid widespread regional tensions arising from escalating conflicts over sovereignty in the South China Sea. This increase in cooperation is underscored by geopolitical rivalry and the realignment of interests in the Indo-Pacific region. On October 7, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr. agreed to elevate their relations to a “strategic partnership.” This agreement included the signing of around 13 trade agreements and memorandums of understanding. Notably, these agreements focus on enhancing maritime cooperation between the two nations’ coast guard forces, exploring the feasibility of investing in the operation of a nuclear power plant in Bataan, infrastructure projects, and collaboration on raw material supply chains essential for telecommunications technology, agriculture, and crop production, among other sectors.

During his visit to Manila—the first by a South Korean leader in over a decade—Yoon expressed his commitment to ushering in a new chapter in their partnership. He indicated his eagerness to invest in the final phase of the Philippines’ military modernization initiative, aimed at strengthening its armed forces at an estimated cost of approximately 36 billion USD. The two leaders also discussed their nations’ disputes in the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula. Yoon emphasized their mutual support for an international order grounded in established legal frameworks to ensure freedom and safety of navigation in the South China Sea. He reiterated the importance of the international community’s response to North Korea’s nuclear program, which both leaders described as “reckless provocations.”

In conjunction with the visit, the South Korean government pledged to provide 2 billion USD to support infrastructure projects in the Philippines. The South Korean Ministry of Finance signed a memorandum of understanding with its Philippine counterpart to offer assistance through an Economic Cooperation Development Fund designed to provide low-interest loans for infrastructure projects in developing nations. As part of this initiative, the fund will allocate 905 million USD for the construction of a coastal road network near Manila and 1 billion USD for a 13-kilometer bridge connecting the islands of Guimaras, Panay, and Negros in central Philippines, in addition to a 110 million USD loan for the second phase of the Samar Coastal Road project in southern Philippines.

Features of Cooperation

Diplomatic relations between the Philippines and South Korea were established in March 1949 when Manila officially recognized the Republic of Korea. The Korean War in the 1950s further solidified cooperation between the two nations, following the deployment of Philippine troops alongside international forces supporting Seoul against the North Korean invasion. Since then, bilateral ties have evolved through various frameworks, ultimately intensifying their cooperation into a strategic partnership, characterized by several key elements:

  1. Political Consensus on Developing Relations: The political relationship between the two countries reflects a commitment at the official level to enhance their partnership. In August 2024, the Foreign Ministers of South Korea and the Philippines agreed to intensify efforts to elevate their bilateral relations to a “strategic partnership,” in accordance with the mutual agreement reached by Presidents Yoon Suk-yeol and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during their exchanges in March 2024. This development indicates that the evolution of relations is driven by emerging changes, largely influenced by the ongoing alliance dynamics in the region based on intertwined regional interests.
  2. Advancements in Defense Partnership: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed his intention to invest in strengthening the Philippine military during his official visit to Manila, following Manila’s framework for enhancing its military defenses through the “comprehensive archipelagic defense” concept championed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., aimed at asserting legal sovereignty over the nation in the face of ongoing Chinese threats. Consequently, defense cooperation is on the rise, as evidenced by the Black Eagles aerial demonstration team from South Korea that performed at Clark Air Base in March 2024, celebrating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Additionally, the South Korean company Hyundai Heavy Industries is actively involved in developing warships and frigates for the Philippines.
  3. Enhancing Agricultural Cooperation: The agricultural sector stands out as a major area of collaboration between the two nations. In July 2024, the agriculture ministries of South Korea and the Philippines expressed their commitment to agricultural development to secure food security for both countries as allies. Furthermore, Philippine Agriculture Minister Francisco Tiu Laurel, in April 2024, expressed eagerness to learn from South Korea’s agricultural experience through field visits and to develop collaborative avenues. The countries complement each other for essential crops such as rice, okra, bananas, and avocados through reciprocal trade.
  4. Support for Free Trade Agreements: The two nations signed a free trade agreement in September 2023 to boost economic collaboration and facilitate the export-import operations of their investors. Under this agreement, both countries committed to significant tariff concessions, with South Korea eliminating tariffs on 94.8% of Philippine products and Manila abolishing tariffs on 96.5% of South Korean goods. This arrangement is complemented by facilitation in trade dealings, particularly concerning agricultural products and manufacturing components, especially in the automotive sector.
  5. Development of Telecommunications Investments: The Philippines represents a significant market for advanced telecommunications products from South Korea. Philippine Trade and Industry Minister Alfredo Pascual reported on May 31, 2023, that investments from South Korean company Samsung in the Philippines surpassed 25 billion USD. Samsung operates the Simphil complex in the Calamba region of Laguna in Eastern Philippines, contributing to local economic growth. According to the minister, Simphil was involved in 80 million USD worth of Philippine exports and provided 7,000 job opportunities as of January 2023. Both nations continue to pursue the development of their partnership in telecommunications technology and related industries, including defense technologies such as drones.

Factors Promoting Closer Ties

The two countries are influenced by a complex web of interests and conflicts, which can serve as catalysts for developing their cooperation. This can be analyzed through several lenses:

Establishing a Common Ground to Counter North Korea: The political rivalry between the Philippines and South Korea against North Korea has become more aligned in terms of shared vision, especially in light of the growing alliance between the governments of China and North Korea, which poses regional challenges intersecting with the national interests of both Seoul and Manila. The relationship between the Koreas is currently fraught; on October 4, 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened to use nuclear weapons without hesitation if his country faced an attack from Seoul, while the latter claimed it would crush North Korea if it used nuclear weapons against them. This tension was exacerbated by a series of waste-laden balloons launched by North Korea toward its southern neighbor in May 2024, leading to increased hostilities between the two nations.

Seoul’s Moves to Balance Chinese Influence: Historically, the relationship between South Korea and China has not been significantly tumultuous, with strong economic ties until South Korea’s decision in 2017 to deploy the US THAAD missile defense system, which China views as a threat to its national security. This deployment strained their cooperation. While Beijing has made recent efforts to bolster relations with Seoul, South Korea appears to pursue closer ties with regional allies aligned with the American camp, such as the Philippines, in line with its ambitions.

Philippines’ Efforts to Form a Regional Front of Like-minded States: The Philippines is striving to navigate any emerging conflicts with regional countries against the Chinese government or its allies to form a united front that bolsters its opposition to China’s ambitions in the region. The announcement of the strategic partnership with South Korea is a testament to this effort. The Manila government, facing territorial disputes over islands in the South China Sea, relies on diplomatic frameworks as part of its strategies in the struggle. This move aims to attract regional governments to unify against China’s use of military power to threaten international navigation rights and complicate ongoing sovereignty issues.

Desire to Enhance Maritime Security Cooperation: The two presidents signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between coast guard forces, which strengthens the Philippines’ position in its current territorial disputes with the Chinese government over sovereignty in the South China Sea. Manila has made concerted efforts to achieve this objective. On September 20, 2024, Philippine media discussed with the South Korean Ambassador to Manila, Lee Sang-hwa, the possibility of South Korea participating in joint navigation operations in the South China Sea. Although the ambassador was somewhat reserved in providing a specific answer regarding involvement in South China Sea operations, instead using the term “maritime cooperation” generally, the announcement of cooperation to enhance coast guard capabilities seems to pave the way for Seoul’s participation in military operations between Manila and its allied nations, including the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan, within the context of South China Sea maneuvers and in the broader Indo-Pacific region.

Advancement of the Philippine Nuclear Energy Agenda: In recent years, the Philippines has sought to encourage South Korea to develop its nuclear energy capabilities. In December 2022, Manila renewed its call for Seoul to advance the nuclear power project in the Bataan region, located about 100 kilometers west of the Philippine capital. The Philippines aims to develop the plant in response to climate change crises and enhance its energy portfolio. Despite South Korea’s previous reservations about engaging in the project, recent agreements indicate shifts in regional perspectives regarding the matter, though it remains under evaluation since the signed memorandum of understanding includes conducting a preliminary feasibility study before development.

Addressing Concerns About the New U.S. Administration’s Direction: Recent months have witnessed some cautionary shifts within South Korea in anticipation of the impacts a potential victory for Donald Trump could have on U.S.-North Korea relations. Trump’s political vision is viewed by Seoul as not reassuring for its stability. Thus, the complex regional alignment against both China and North Korea represents a preemptive step to manage regional dynamics in the Indo-Pacific area. Concurrently, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured during his visit to the Philippines in July 2024 that Washington’s commitments to the Mutual Defense Treaty with Manila remain steadfast, regardless of the upcoming president. Nonetheless, South Korea continues to face an unstable situation amid concerns over potential changes.

Support for Economic Stability in the Philippines: The Philippines views regional partnerships with like-minded countries as a stable economic support system, which may alleviate its reliance on investment cooperation with China. The latter employs its financial hegemony to pressure Manila into relinquishing its claims to disputed islands in the South China Sea. On October 1, 2024, the Philippine Investment Authority reported an increase in project registrations by Chinese investors this year amid ongoing tensions between the two nations, creating pressures on the Philippine government regarding the necessity of balancing its complicated relationship with China.

Regional Attractiveness

The Indo-Pacific region is experiencing a rapid acceleration of regional alliances, particularly concerning defense cooperation and maritime security, amid intense polarization between the adversaries of both China and North Korea. This context indicates a looming escalation of militarization and an increasing pace of armament in the region. The strategic partnership between the Philippines and South Korea represents a new chapter in the unfolding narrative of complex regional alignments.

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SAKHRI Mohamed
SAKHRI Mohamed

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Relations in addition to a Master's degree in International Security Studies. Alongside this, I have a passion for web development. During my studies, I acquired a strong understanding of fundamental political concepts and theories in international relations, security studies, and strategic studies.

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