Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

The 2nd ROK-Philippines Joint Defense Cooperation Committee Held

Opportunity for a leap forward in bilateral friendly and cooperative relations

On the afternoon of October 19 (Wednesday), Vice Minister of Defense Shin Beom-cheol discussed issues such as measures for the development of defense cooperation and defense-industry cooperation between the two countries through the ‘2nd ROK-Philippines Joint Defense Cooperation Committee’ via videoconference with Franco Nemesio M. Gacal, Vice Defense Minister of the Philippines.

At this meeting, which was the first one held in two years due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, following a first round in October 2020 that aimed to enhance strategic defense cooperation between the two countries, the Vice-Ministers sought ways to strengthen practical defense cooperation through discussions on personnel exchanges, joint training, military, defense and industry cooperation, as well as multilateral security cooperation.

Notably, the Vice Ministers evaluated that bilateral exchange and cooperation had been actively carried out, including ▴the export of patrol ships to the Philippines, ▴the first participation of the ROK Marines in the Philippine-sponsored Kamandak joint exercise, and ▴the Philippines air show by the Black Eagles, a Korean special flight team, efforts which began with the visit of former Philippine Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana to South Korea this year.