HEADLINE | MANILA- South Korea seeks more naval drills with Philippines(PH).
.The U.S. Navy and Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) concluded Carrier Strike Group Exercise 2022 in the Philippine Sea, June 4.
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AFTER assisting the Philippines in its modernization program, the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) now wants to take it a step further by having “more future engagements to strengthen the strategic relationships” between the two countries.
Admiral Lee Jong-Ho, chief of the Naval Operations of ROKN, expressed this during a courtesy call on Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci Jr., flag officer in command, at the Philippine Navy Headquarters on Tuesday, said Capt. Benjo Negranza, Naval Public Affairs Office director, on Wednesday.
“The two leaders discussed the continuing partnerships between the two nations during the visit that served as a good follow-through to the engagements that the PN and ROKN have had over the last several months,” said Negranza.
He said during the meeting, Lee congratulated the Philippine Navy for its successful activities and “eyed more future engagements to further strengthen the strategic relationships between the Philippines and South Korea.”
Adaci, on the other hand, expressed his gratitude to his counterpart for their continuous support of the Philippine Navy’s modernization program, particularly in the manufacture of several ships that are now being used in patrolling the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, Negranza said.
Memento Maxima Digital MarketingIn December 2021, Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering Co. won a 583-billion-won ($470-million) contract to build two patrol frigates for the Philippines.
The BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150) and BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) were both built by Hyundai Heavy Industries and are now in service. Two corvettes and six offshore patrol vessels are currently being built by the South Korean shipyard.
The Philippine Navy also acquired its most powerful ship to date, the BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39), an ex-Pohang class corvette (a small warship), which was donated by South Korea to the Philippines. Two more “Pohang” class corvettes are on the way.
Negranza said Adaci also emphasized the sustainability of Navy-to-Navy talks between the two countries as he finds it highly beneficial for both.
“We learn a lot from you and it is one way for us to discover avenues of cooperation in terms of education and training, and modernization,” he told his South Korean counterpart.
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Navy-to-Navy talks
The most recent Navy-to-Navy talks between the Philippine and South Korean Navies were held in Busan, South Korea on Dec. 1, 2022.
The highlight of the talks focused on education and training, people-to-people exchanges, logistics cooperation, combined exercises and ship visits.
The Navy-to-Navy talks were held under the Terms of Reference (TOR) signed by the Philippines and South Korea in 2019.
One of the specifics under the TOR is the conduct of biennial Navy talks which provides a forum for regular dialogue and information exchange between the two countries and to discuss matters of common importance and to promote mutual interests.
The meeting between the two Navy chiefs comes as South Korea strives to expand its presence in the Southeast Asian nation’s arms market.
In recent years, South Korea has emerged as the world’s fastest-growing arms exporter.
The Philippines is one of the biggest buyers of South Korean weapons, accounting for 16 percent of its sales.
South Korea’s support comes as the Philippines is locked in a territorial dispute with China, which has laid claim to the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
An arbitral ruling in 2016 granted the Philippines sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its exclusive economic zone in the WPS, which China has refused to recognize as it continuously harassed Filipino fishermen and Philippine ships that patrol the area.
Australian Foreign Minister and Sen. Penny Wong in a visit to the Philippines this May said her country was committed to continuing its presence in the WPS and South China Sea to maintain peace and stability in the region and was “open to cooperating with all partners to exercise freedom of navigation and overflight,” adding, “The Philippines is a long-standing important security partner for us.”
The United States, a long-standing ally of the Philippines, has identified four new areas in the country where it would house its arms and supplies under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) between the two countries — a move that has angered China.
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