President Lee to pay state visits to Singapore and the Philippines from March 1 to 4 for summits

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According to The Financial News, President Lee Jae Myung will pay state visits to Singapore and the Philippines from March 1 to 4.
Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong at Cheong Wa Dae announced this plan in a written briefing released in advance on the 27th.
From March 1 to 3 in Singapore, President Lee will hold a summit and friendship luncheon with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. He is also scheduled to meet President Tharman Shanmugaratnam for talks and attend a state banquet. In addition, he will take part in the jointly hosted "AI Connect Summit" and engage in discussions with future AI leaders from both countries.
Singapore is a regional hub for transport, logistics, and finance that leads the free trade order in the area. Last year, South Korea and Singapore marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and established a strategic partnership. Building on this state visit, the two countries are expected to further solidify existing cooperation in trade, investment, and infrastructure, while expanding it into promising future sectors such as AI and nuclear power.
The president will then visit Manila in the Philippines from March 3 to 4, where he will hold a summit and state dinner with President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. He also plans to attend a business forum and other related events.
The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea and is a traditional ally that sent the first and largest Asian contingent to fight in the Korean War. Notably, March 3, the day of the South Korea–Philippines summit, marks the 77th anniversary of diplomatic ties. During this visit, the two nations intend to deepen practical cooperation in areas such as defense, infrastructure, and trade, and to strengthen the foundations for collaboration in future-oriented fields including nuclear power, shipbuilding, critical minerals, and AI.
Spokesperson Kang said the trip is expected to produce tangible outcomes that people in all three countries can feel, by leveraging the strengthened personal ties and trust between President Lee Jae Myung and the leaders of Singapore and the Philippines to promote strategic cooperation in areas of mutual interest. She added that it should also help the three nations step up their collaboration on the international stage.
She further explained that these bilateral visits to the Philippines, this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and to Singapore, next year’s chair, will serve as an important opportunity to flesh out and begin full implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Vision declared at last year’s Korea–ASEAN summit.
cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter