Duterte visiting S. Korea in June

Amid the renewed tension in the Korean Peninsula, President Rodrigo Duterte will visit South Korea from June 3 to 5, South Korea's presidential office announced on Friday.

The report said Duterte will have a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae In on June 4.

It added that the two leaders will discuss measures to reinforce their alliance and further improve ties.

This is the first time that Duterte will stage an official visit to South Korea.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has yet to confirm Duterte’s trip to South Korea.

The announcement of the Philippine President’s visit comes at a time when the region is faced with renewed tension following the cancellation of the supposed June 12 summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

On Thursday (Friday in Manila), Trump wrote Kim a letter canceling their summit supposedly to take place in Singapore, citing “tremendous anger and open hostility” displayed by the North Korean leader in his most recent statement.

The Philippines, together with other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states have supported the international call for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Prior to this visit, South Korean Ambassador Han Dong-Man earlier said they are also planning to invite Duterte to grace next year’s commemoration of the 70thyear of diplomatic relations between the two countries to be held in Seoul.

Bilateral relations between the two countries began on March 3, 1949 when the Philippines became the fifth country to recognize the Republic of Korea’s establishment on 15 August 1948.