President Park Geun-hye held summit talks with President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore in Busan on December 11. The leaders discussed measures to bolster bilateral cooperation.



“I would like to express my deep condolences to the president of the Philippines and to the Filipino people for the massive loss of lives and damage caused by the recent Typhoon Hagupit,” said President Park. She also expressed her deep appreciation to her Filipino counterpart for attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Republic of Korea (ROK) Commemorative Summit despite the difficult current situation in his home country. The president also delivered her heartfelt condolences to the Filipino crew members who lost their lives in the latest sinking accident of the fishing boat Oryong 501.

“The Korean government has vowed to provide USD 500 million in credit assistance over the next 4 years and will continue to cooperate in this respect. Korea’s Araw Contingent will do its best to have a lasting effect as it wraps up its reconstruction work in the typhoon-hit region at the end of this year,” said the Korean president.

In regard to the sinking of the Oryong 501, President Aquino expressed his condolences to the Koreans who lost their lives due to the sinking, and thanked Korea for its efforts in dealing with the aftermath of the accident. “The Philippines appreciates Korea’s repeated support to help us to recover from natural disasters, which continue to hit the country,” said the Filipino leader, expressing his deepest gratitude to the Korean people. “The Araw Contingent built a very close cooperative relationship with the Filipino government, so our government hopes the Araw Contingent will be able to extend its stay in our country,” said Aquino.

In regard to Korean enterprises operating in the Philippines, President Park asked her Filipino counterpart to improve the corporate environment so that Korean firms can more easily conduct business there and make investment more easily. She expressed her thanks for the Filipino government’s support while mentioning the Angat Dam in the Philippines, which the Korea Water Resources Corporation recently began operating. She also added that Korea can be a good cooperation partner for the Philippines on other infrastructure construction projects, including coal-fired electrical power plants, roads, bridges and airports.

President Aquino noted the importance of the Angat Dam in his country and welcomed the participation of Korean firms in power plant construction projects. The Filipino leader proposed Korean cooperation on coal gasification technology. He also hoped to share Korea’s experience in the construction of seawalls, and asked for Korean firms’ participation in the airport renovation project as well as in port development.

In regard to issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, President Park called for the Philippines’ support and cooperation so that a clear and consistent message from the international community can be sent to Pyongyang requiring it to stop making provocations and that it fulfill its obligation to denuclearize. President Aquino expressed the unchanged status of the Filipino government toward the denuclearization of North Korea and emphasized his support for the South Korean government’s efforts toward stability on the Korean Peninsula and across Northeast Asia.



Later in the day, President Park held summit talks with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. At the summit, President Park said, “I am glad to hold summit talks on the exact same day as last year's Korea-Singapore summit.”

She told the Singaporean leader that, “I am glad that both countries have implemented the agreements of previous summits by opening a joint research and development center in the healthcare sector and an IT support center.”

President Park told her Singaporean counterpart that Singapore is Korea’s fifth largest trading partner and the most active trader in ASEAN. She noted that about 200 Korean firms currently operate in various sectors in Singapore, including in infrastructure construction, and hoped that such cooperation can further expand.

In regard to the construction of the express railroad line that will link Singapore and Malaysia, President Park told the Singaporean leader that Korea holds prowess in designing and building express railroads, in terms of both technology and management. She asked for Singapore’s support and asked him to take an interest in this. The president also asked for Singaporean investors to make investments in promising venture start-ups and small- and medium-sized firms in Korea.

In regard to the Korea-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA), Prime Minister Lee hoped that the two countries would be able to closely cooperate on the future direction of the bilateral trade pact. He further hoped that both countries would be able to expand cooperation on the aviation industry.

President Park told the Singaporean prime minister that it is in both countries' mutual interest to pursue the additional liberalization of the Korea-ASEAN FTA. She also said that both countries can further negotiate on aviation, considering the demands of the aviation industry and the convenience of the peoples of both countries.

In regard to issues surrounding the Korean Peninsula, President Park urged Singapore’s active cooperation so that the U.N. Security Council's resolution concerning the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula can be delivered to North Korea clearly and consistently. She explained to the Singaporean leader the connection between Korea’s initiative for peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia and Korea-ASEAN cooperation.

The Singaporean prime minister expressed his view that North Korean issues are very crucial for the peace and security of the world. He also said that the ASEAN-ROK Commemorative Summit can deal with regional security issues in this respect.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
arete@korea.kr