South Korea and the Philippines share ‘common understanding’ on the South China Sea

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol and Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr agreed on Monday to boost defense cooperation as their countries strengthen ties on a strategic partnership amid growing security challenges in the region.

“President Marcos and I have opened a new chapter of our partnership by elevating our relationship to a strategic partnership,” the spokesperson said South Korea‘s Yoon, who is during a state visit to Manilathe first by a South Korean leader in more than a decade.

During a joint press conference with Marcos Jr. Yoon said his country would actively participate in the final phase of the crisis the Philippines‘Billion-dollar efforts to modernize military security at a time of rising tensions with China in the US South China Sea.

The two leaders agreed to maintain an international rules-based order, including on the safety of navigation in the South China Sea, Yoon said, adding that they agreed that the international community would never would approve. North Korea‘s nuclear program or what he called “reckless provocations.”

The pair also pledged to deepen maritime cooperation and agreed to closer ties between their coastguards. Yoon said they will strengthen “tackling cross-border crime, sharing information and conducting search and rescue missions.”

We shared a common understanding on the importance of peace, stability and security in the South China Sea

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol

“We shared a common understanding on the importance of peace, stability and security in the South China Sea,” Yoon told reporters after the bilateral meeting.