MANILA: Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will embark on a state visit to the Philippines from Oct. 6 to 7, the Korean Embassy in Manila announced Thursday. Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa said this visit would be the first by a Korean president after more than a decade and is aimed at boosting the 'already robust' Philippine-Korea relations. 'The visit marks a pivotal moment in the 75-year diplomatic relationship between Korea and the Philippines and symbolizes our strong bond and close connection of our leaders,' he said in a statement. 'President Yoon"s State Visit epitomizes not only a celebration of past achievements but a forging of even greater partnership and opportunities.' Lee said the visit would further elevate the strong partnership between the two countries in various areas, including in the political realm, security, economy, development cooperation, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Yoon's visit to Manila comes ahead of his participation in the ASEAN-Korea Summit next week in Laos, whe re pressing regional issues, such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, and Myanmar are expected to be discussed. Korea and the Philippines marked their 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2024 and are currently looking to elevate it into a 'strategic partnership.' Seoul and Manila have several active dialogue mechanisms that focus on exploring cooperation in maritime, science and technology, and agriculture. Source: Philippines News Agency