President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomes South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Malacañang on October 7, 2024. (Photo screengrab from RTVM)
South Korean President Yoon Sul-yeol honored Filipino veterans of the Korean War on Sunday, laying a wreath at the Korean War Memorial Pylon in Libingan ng mga Bayani, Taguig City. “The event [paid] tribute to the valor and sacrifice of the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea members who bravely fought side-by-side with South Korean soldiers and defended their stations against the combined forces of North Korea and the Chinese People’s Volunteer Army during the Korean War,” the Philippine Army said. The Philippines sent over 7,000 troops during the Korean War and was among the first Southeast Asian countries to establish diplomatic ties with Seoul. Of the 7,000 Filipino troops, 116 were killed in action, 299 were wounded and 57 went missing. Yoon’s two-day state visit to the Philippines marks the first one by a South Korean president since 2011. —FRANCES MANGOSING