KOREA BULLETIN 1
KOREA BULLETIN
The official publication of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea
NOVEMBER 2017F R O M T H E A M B A S S A D O R ‘ S D E S K
KIM Jae-shin, Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary
Amid all the preparations for the recently-concluded ASEAN activities, I am delighted to send my early Christmas greet- ings to the Korean community in the Philippines, as well as to all Filipinos in this lovely place that has been my home away from home for nearly three years.
Before anything else, I want to congratulate the Korean Cultur- al Center (KCC) for publishing this issue of the Korea Bulletin.
It serves to remind us of the events in the past quarter that impacted on Korea-Philippine relations, and gives us an idea of what lies ahead.
In the context of the ASEAN, it must be pointed out that the Republic of Korea began dialogues with the ASEAN in 1989. Since then, political, security, economic, and socio- cultural cooperation have ex- panded to include ROK’s sup- port for ASEAN’s efforts to narrow the development gap throughout the region.
As one of the founding mem- bers of the ASEAN and chair of ASEAN 2017, the Philippines plays a major role in further deepening ASEAN-ROK rela- tions.
Korean President Moon Jae-In, who attended the ASEAN Plus Three summit, had occasion to speak to President Rodrigo Du- terte during their bilateral meet- ing last November 13. Noting the popularity of the Korean wave in the Philippines and the number of Koreans who visit
the country every year, Presi- dent Moon expressed "great pleasure that our two peoples are deepening mutual under- standing and friendship through close exchanges."
President Moon also described the Philippines as a "long-time friend" of Korea, special even among Southeast Asian coun- tries. He said the Philippines was the “first among ASEAN nations to open diplomatic re- lations with Korea and the first among Asian nations to send ground forces to fight by our side during the Korean War."
Because of this history of friendship and cooperation, President Moon expressed high hopes for fostering ties between Korea and ASEAN, by raising relations to the highest level, especially under the chairman- ship of the Philippines.
For his part, after assuring President Moon regarding the safety and security of Koreans in the Philippines, President Duterte focused on trade and the economy. He invited South Korean businessmen to invest in the Philippines, in manufac- turing, automotive, food pro- duction, processing, agribusi- ness, electronics, and energy, among other sectors.
Related to this, Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano went to Korea last September – the first time a Foreign Affairs Secretary of the Philippines visited Korea since 2012 – for the opening of the ASEAN Culture House (ACH)
in Busan. Secretary Cayetano expressed his hope that the ACH would be a lasting sym- bol of the ever-growing part- nership between Korea and the ASEAN, as they chart a future of mutual peace, prosperity, and cultural vibrancy.
Earlier, in August, Korean For- eign Minister Kang Kyung-wha visited the Philippines to attend the 50th ASEAN Ministerial Meetings.
On the local scene, one of the events worth mentioning is the inauguration of the Korea- Philippines Q-LiFE Feed Mill Plant last August, a joint pro- ject of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Provincial Government of Quirino. Envisioned to help increase the income of farmers and improve the productivity of livestock, the plant will provide farmers from Quirino as well as its neighboring areas access to high quality and reasonably priced animal feed.
In the area of defense coop- eration, with all twelve Ko- rean-made FA-50 fighter jets contributing to reinforcing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, two frigates are set to be delivered in 2020.
As for cultural exchange, the KCC must be commended for continuously promoting Ko- rean culture in the Philippines.
Apart from the annual Korean Film Festival and the Filipino- Korean Cultural Exchange Fes- tival, both held in September,
KCC also organized the two- part “BEYOND BORDERS:
ASEAN-Korea Arts Exchange Project.” The Dance Exchange Project on October 20, where various dancers from Korea and the ASEAN countries per- formed with Ballet Manila, was a good partner to the Graffiti Art Project, in which various artists created a mural in Boni- facio Global City, unveiled last November 2, in celebration of Korean-ASEAN cooperation.
Filipinos who want to witness Korean artistry in an entirely different setting can visit Korea in February next year and be a part of the 2018 Winter Olym- pics in PyeongChang. I believe this will be a wonderful op- portunity for Filipino travelers to enjoy winter sports and the picturesque winter sceneries of Korea. Visitors will not only get to witness and even experi- ence popular winter sports like skiing, ice, skating, snowboard- ing, and sledding, among oth- ers, but they can also join festi- vals, see the places where their popular shows are shot, or shop for trendy clothes, accessories, and cosmetics. Throughout their vacation, they can enjoy familiar Korean cuisine and the hospitality of the locals.
With all these developments, I am optimistic that in the years ahead, the relationship between Korea and the Philippines will continue to flourish and expand to various areas of cooperation.
KOREA BULLETIN 2
Korea Donates P5M for Marawi Victims
The Korean government, through its Ambassador in the Philippines KIM Jae-shin de- livered 5-million peso humani- tarian aid to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) on July 5, 2017, to assist civilians displaced by the conflict in Marawi City in Mindanao.
At the turn-over ceremony held at the PRC Tower in Man- daluyong City, Ambassador KIM expressed his condolenc- es to the victims of the conflict
KOICA,Quirino Province Inaugu- rate Q-LiFE Feed Mill Plant
(Korean Ambassador KIM Jae-Shin (left) presents the deed of donation to Philippine Red Cross Chair and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon)
in Marawi City and is hoping that the conflict will end as soon as possible. He also wishes that this small contribution will be helpful in easing the difficul- ties of the people on evacuation centers.
The aid will be spent to pro- vide water, food, and non-food items to the evacuees and to run portalets and bathing facilities in different evacuation centers where the Marawi victims are displaced.
The Republic of Korea is committed to fight against ter- rorism and is ready to provide
necessary help to the Philip- pines in this time of difficulty.
Korea International Coop- eration Agency (KOICA) and the Provincial Government of Quirino inaugurated the Korea-Philippines Q-LiFE Feed Mill Plant last August 26, 2017 at Brgy. Dipintin, Mad- dela, Quirino. The event was graced by Korean Embassy Minister Counsellor KYUN Jong-Ho, KOICA Country Di- rector SHIN Myung Seop, and Quirino Province Governor Ju- nie Cua.
The four-ton capacity Feed Mill
Plant will provide farmers from Quirino as well as its neighbor- ing areas access to high quality and reasonably-priced animal feeds. It is envisioned to help increase the income of farm- ers and improve the productiv- ity of livestock. The Feed Mill Plant is part of the 5-Million USD Quirino Integrated Agri- cultural Development Project (QIADP) which began in 2014.
The QIADP is a comprehen- sive rural development project which involves Korean grant
aid support for agroforestry, community livelihood, and infrastructure. Aside from the Feed Mill Plant, the project provided for the establishment of mushroom production facili- ties, planting of fruit and forest trees for watershed protection, distribution of livestock, exten- sion of microfinance, and con- struction of farm-to-market roads. Also the US$ 9.5-Million Phase 2 project is currently be- ing developed and expected to start by 2018.
In his message, Minister Coun- sellor KYUN Jong-Ho high- lighted that the project is a
symbol of Korea’s strong com- mitment in helping the Philip- pines achieve its development objectives. He noted that this project could serve as an impe- tus for the social and economic development of Quirino Prov- ince.
Governor Junie Cua mean- while, encouraged the local community to support the pro- ject as it would help lift them up from poverty and hardship.
He said that the project would serve as a lasting impression and gift of Korea to the citizens of Quirino Province.
2018 PyeongChang Olympics and Paralympics Set
The 2018 Winter Olympics are set for February 9 to 25 at PyeongChang, Korea.
This will be the second Olym- pic Games held in the Republic of Korea -- the first was the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.
Opening and closing cer- emonies will be conducted at PyeongChang Olympic Stadi-
um, with a capacity for 35,000 people. The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics will be the first time for the Winter Olympics to be held in Korea. With less than six months to go until the 2018 Winter Games, preparations are well underway in the city of PyeongChang as they hope to host memorable games.
KOREA BULLETIN 3
Korean Embassy holds National Day Reception
The Embassy of the Repub- lic of Korea in the Philippines celebrated its National and Armed Forces Day last Octo- ber 3 at the Dusit Thani, Makati City.
In his commemorative ad- dress, Korean Ambassador KIM Jae-Shin thank the Phil- ippines for its stronger bilateral relationship with Korea.
He noted that newly-elected Korean President MOON Jae- In convey the new administra- tion’s commitment to upgrade further Korea’s relationship with the Philippines and other ASEAN countries. “I firmly be-
Korea, DepEd Start Teacher’s Training for SPFL Program
20 TEACHERS from selected public high schools in Metro Manila are currently undergo- ing Korean language training which started last October 6 as part of Department of Educa- tion’s (DepEd) Special Program in Foreign Language-Korea (SPFL).
The Korean government and DepEd lined up a series of capability-building activities for the 20 selected teachers to gear them on the different as- pects of learning and teaching the Korean language. DepEd is implementing the program with support from Korean Cul- tural Center in the Philippines (KCC), the Ministry of Educa- tion in Korea, and the Korean Embassy.
The first part of the program runs from October 6, 2017 to December 15, 2017 at KCC. A Korean instructor from King
Sejong Institute in Korea and KCC will teach the teachers of Korean language and Korean culture course for nine weeks.
This will be followed by an 81-hour intensive training on Korean language and teach- ing methods from January to March 2018.
A cultural immersion program in Korea for the selected teach- ers will be from April 23 to May 18. It aims to enhance the teachers’ knowledge and teach- ing practices by going to differ- ent universities and educational institutions in Korea
Korean language as Foreign Language
The Ministry of Education in Korea aims to extend Korea's educational competitiveness by facilitating mutual educa- tion cooperation with other countries. It is making efforts to integrate Korean language
courses into the local education system by partnering with local ministries of education in order to keep the interest of Korean language abroad, which has be- come widely popular due to the Korean Wave.
In the Philippines, as part of the government’s efforts to equip students with additional knowledge, DepEd introduced the SPFL program in 2009 with Spanish, French and Japanese courses offered to select public high schools.
Other languages offered in the program are German and Chi- nese (Mandarin). Last June
2017, DepEd and Korean Em- bassy formalized the inclusion of Korean language in the pro- gram through a memorandum of agreement signing.
During the ceremony Korean Ambassador KIM Jae Shin emphasized the importance cultural and educational coop- eration in strengthening bilat- eral relationship between the two countries. “Language is very important so teaching and studying [foreign languages] in schools is very helpful to deep- en the bilateral understanding between two nations,” said Am- bassador KIM.
President Moon Jae-in visits Manila
Korean President MOON Jae- in visited the Philippines on November 2017 for the ASEAN Plus Three Summit.
President MOON traveled first to Jakarta, Indonesia on Nov 8, to meet President Joko Widodo and move to Danang, Vietnam on Nov 10 for the APEAC sum- mit. His final stop was in Ma- nila on Nov 12, to attend the ASEAN Plus Three Summit.
This is President MOON’s first trip to South-East Asia as Re- public of Korea’s President since he took office in May 2017.
The Korean government con- tinues to make its best efforts to
(President MOON Jae-In. Photo from KoreaNet)
resolve the North Korean nucle- ar issues by applying maximum engagement and peace talks. It will spare no efforts to improve inter-Korean relations through various initiatives, such as hu- manitarian assistance, military talks, etc.
One of the key features of the foreign policy of the MOON Jae-in administration is its em- phasis on the value of Korea’s relationship with the ASEAN.
ASEAN is Korea’s largest trade partner after China, with bilat- eral trade reaching $118.8 bil- lion USD on 2016.
lieve that under the leadership of President Moon and Presi- dent Duterte, the Republics of Korea and the Philippines will further enhance amicable and mutually beneficial relations,”
Ambassador KIM said.
“Our great partnership, born from the ashes of the Korean War, binds our nations and our people. Together, let us keep our friendship strong, through the good times and the bad. So, taking this opportunity, I would like to convey to our Filipino friends that we Koreans like the Philippines, and love the Filipi- nos,” added Ambassador KIM.
(Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines KIM Jae-Shin)
KOREA BULLETIN 4
art & culture
ASEAN-Korea friendship celebrated at
‘Beyond Borders Dance Project’
To celebrate the 50th anniver- sary of Southeast Nations and the ASEAN-Korea Cultural Exchange Year milestones, the National Com- mission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines organized “Beyond Borders: ASEAN-Korea Dance Ex- change” last October 20, 2017 at Star Theater, CCP Complex.
The entire program showcased different cultural performances from the ASEAN-Korea countries Singapore, Korea, Malaysia, In- donesia, Thailand, Philippines and Cambodia. The night showcased the most spectacular manifestation of classical to neoclassical to con- temporary dance, the fast-shifting movements of the performances added to the suspense and charm of the show. The event was well- attended by diplomats from Cam- bodia, Indonesia, Iran, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Oman and the Philippines.
Adelina Suemith, OIC-Executive Director of NCCA, on her introduc- tion, said that despite many differ- ences, similarity happens during dance as it plays a radical role to show beyond traditional forms.
This event was hosted in order to break new grounds for mutual un- derstanding and respect between different cultures, magnifying the world with new perspectives.
The event ended with each ASEAN country performers danc- ing to popular Filipino folk dance
‘Tinikling’. It showed how partici- pants became one in their goal to promote the partnership between the countries. The creative direc- tor of the concert and Lisa Macu- ja-Elizalde also entered the stage waving and dancing together with the whole ASEAN-Korea Dance Exchange Crew. The dance project was made possible with the support of Ballet Manila through its CEO and Artistic Director Lisa Macuja- Elizalde.
(Performers of the ASEAN-Korea countries)
KCC, NCCA Partner for ‘ASEAN-Korea Graffiti Project’
KCC Wraps Up Annual Korean Film Festival
Filipino, Korean Performers collaborate at 2017 Philippines-Korea Cultural Exchange
Festival
In celebration of the 50th An- niversary of the ASEAN and the ASEAN-Korea Cultural Exchange Year, Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines together with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Bonifacio Art Foundation, Inc.
(BAFI) are organizing the “BE- YOND BORDERS: The Graffiti Art Project.”
KCC, NCCA and BAFI commis- sioned artists from the ASEAN- Korea countries to paint a mural in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City – one of the Philippines art-infused cities. It aims to celebrate friend- ship of ASEAN-Korea through the collaborative work and interactions of visual artists ASEAN-Korea countries.
The Graffiti Art Project is being led by its Project Director PARK YoungGyun from Korea.
According to KCC Director LEE Jincheol the project aims to rep- resent a community effort by the ASEAN-Korea countries and to utilize cultural symbols as a way of creating an impact internally and externally to the public. “Through this mural, artists from the differ- ent ASEAN-Korea countries could share their cultural traditions and art to wider audience. It is also a good opportunity to showcase ASEAN and Korea’s stronger good ties,” said LEE.
The 35 x 27.5 meter mural is lo- cated at the corner of 26th Street and 5th Ave. in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines.
(Artists and Volunteers from ASEAN-Korea countries who will participate in the mural project during the project orientation last October 16 at KCC)
The United Korean Community Association (UKCA) together with the National Commission for Cul- ture and the Arts (NCCA), Embassy of the Republic of Korea and KCC organized the 26th Philippines-Ko- rea Cultural Exchange Festival.
Held last September 9, 2017 at the Aliw Theater, Pasay City, the event was divided into two parts:
The “Annual Talent Competition”
and “Phil-Kor Concert.”
In his welcome remarks, Korean Ambassador KIM Jae-Shin said that the festival is a “firm indica- tion” of the deepening relations be- tween the Philippines and Korea. “I am optimistic that this annual event – where Filipinos and Koreans per-
form under one roof toward the singular goal of promoting under- standing – will further strengthen the bonds between the Philippines and Korea through cultural ex- change,” said Ambassador KIM.
Venisse Siy took home the over- all grand prize at the Annual Tal- ent Competition while Merry Mia Sinaguinan and cover dance group Array won the first places for the singing and dancing category, re- spectively.
To showcase the friendship be- tween the two countries, Ballet Ma- nila and Serotonin joined together on one stage for a collaboration performance of Arnis.
Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines recently con- cluded its annual film festival with its final screening held last October 12 to 15 at SM City Das- mariñas.
The Film Festival went to the cities of Mandaluyong, Davao,
Iloilo, Cebu and Pampanga be- fore hitting its last stop, Das- mariñas, Cavite.
Korean films included in the festival were ‘How to Steal a Dog,’ ‘Twenty,’ ‘My Brilliant Life,’ ‘Very Ordinary Couple,’
and ‘King of Jokgu.’
