Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Vice defense ministers of the two countries met via videoconference;
discussed the COVID-19 pandemic and security issues;
called for cooperation in the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference

The defense authorities of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Philippines agreed to develop the Joint Defense Cooperation Committee as a regular communication channel.

An official from the Ministry of National Defense said that Vice Minister Park Jae-min and his Filipino counterpart Ricardo David reached this consensus during the first ROK-Philippines Joint Defense Cooperation Committee, held via videoconference on the afternoon of October 19.

During the Monday meeting, the two vice ministers explored various ways to boost defense cooperation between the two countries. The two vice ministers started the meeting by commemorating the noble sacrifice of the Filipino war veterans who fought for ROK during the Korean War, which was particularly significant as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. They discussed a number of defense cooperation issues between the two countries, as well as regional security issues, including a response plan for the COVID-19 pandemic and peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula. Assessing the two countries’ achievements based on mutual trust and reciprocal cooperation in the defense and armed industry areas, they agreed to steadily build their momentum for bilateral cooperation amid the COVID-19 situation.

Stressing that solidarity and cooperation with the international community is of paramount importance in the efforts to overcome the COVID-19 situation, Park pledged to actively share the ROK military’s experience and lessons learned in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. David thanked the ROK government for providing masks to his country, and expressed hope that the COVID-19 situation would be quickly overcome through continued cooperation between the militaries of the two countries.

Specifically, the Monday meeting also presented the cooperative activities of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference slated to be held in Seoul next April, and the cybersecurity unit under the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) which the ROK is to co-chair with Malaysia from 2021 to 2023.

Park asked for the Philippines' support for Seoul's hosting of the UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference next year, as well as for the cybersecurity unit under the ADMM-Plus.

Ending the meeting, the two vice ministers shared the assessment that the ROK-Philippines Joint Defense Cooperation Committee, held for the first time, had boosted defense cooperation between the two countries, and vowed to develop the committee as a regular communication channel for the defense ministries of the two countries.

By Chae-Mu, Im <lims86@dema.mil.kr >

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