PH, Korea to ink defense pact

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines will forge a defense pact with South Korea during President Aquino’s two-day state visit to one of Asia’s superpowers this week.

In a briefing on the Korean state visit in Malacañang, Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said President Aquino and President Park Geun-hye will witness the signing of at least one memorandum of understanding (MOU) between their respective defense ministries.

Hernandez said the MOU will cover an exchange of visits between their respective soldiers, humanitarian personnel and international peacekeepers.

During his visit from Oct. 17 to 18, the President will meet with executives of Korea’s “chaebols,” or giant business conglomerates; touch base with the Filipino community in Asia’s third-largest economy; and confer the Order of Lakandula on Rep. Jasmine Bacunay-Lee, who left her roots in Cavite and Davao City to become the first naturalized Filipino-Korean to win a seat in the National Assembly.—Gil Cabacungan