Marcos and South Korea's Lee Jae-myung Ink 10 Major Deals on Defense, Nukes, and Agriculture

President Marcos and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sat down at Malacañang on Tuesday for what turned out to be a pretty productive meeting — the kind where they actually walked away with 10 signed agreements covering defense, nuclear energy, agriculture, tech, and more.

Lee arrived in Manila for a two-day state visit, and the two leaders wasted no time talking business. Among the deals inked were MOUs between the Philippine DND and South Korea's defense acquisition agency for procurement of defense materials, plus agreements on digital cooperation between DICT and Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT. Agriculture, intellectual property, police cooperation, and cultural exchanges were also covered — basically a full buffet of bilateral agreements.

One of the bigger takeaways was the nuclear energy angle. Lee said both countries agreed to strengthen cooperation on nuclear power, building on a feasibility study for the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant resumption. "We will become optimal partners for nuclear power cooperation," the Korean president said. They're also looking at new nuclear power projects beyond Bataan.

Marcos noted that the visit coincides with the 77th anniversary of PH-South Korea diplomatic ties — a relationship forged during the Korean War when the Philippines sent troops to fight alongside the Koreans. "That bond cemented in solidarity during very difficult times continues to guide our strategic partnership," Marcos said. Lee, for his part, called the Philippines "an old friend and a key partner nation."

Beyond defense and nukes, the two also agreed to expand cooperation in shipbuilding and AI. With both countries navigating a complicated geopolitical landscape right now — the Middle East conflict, tensions in the region — the timing of deepening this partnership couldn't be more strategic.

Source: Philstar.com