Philippines renews call for North Korea denuclearization

PHNOM PENH – The Philippines has renewed its call for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, expressing “great concern” over North Korea’s recent provocations.

“This is of great concern and we are fully supportive of the Republic of Korea in all your efforts to denuclearize North Korea,” President Marcos told South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during a bilateral meeting at the Sokha Hotel here on Saturday, referring to Pyongyang’s series of missile launches.

The meeting of the two leaders was held on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits.

“The Philippines is one with you on that and we will do what we can to assist South Korea in that effort,” Marcos said.

During an intervention at the 41st ASEAN Summit Retreat last Friday, Marcos urged North Korea to comply with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

“The Philippines reiterates its grave concerns over the series of missile launches conducted by the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) this year,” Marcos said.

“We call on the DPRK to comply with relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and we encourage the continuation of dialogue and engagement among concerned parties with the aim of stabilizing the situation in the region,” he said.

Since 2006, the UNSC has passed nearly a dozen resolutions sanctioning North Korea for developing nuclear weapons and related activities. Other countries, including the US, have also imposed unilateral sanctions.

Earlier, Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial, of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the situation in the Korean Peninsula is “of paramount concern to us,” noting that the significant number of Filipinos in South Korea.

“We do have around 46,500 Filipinos living and working in the Republic of Korea, in close proximity to North Korea,” Imperial said.

On Nov. 2, the Philippines issued a statement condemning Pyongyang’s ballistic missile launches that have raised tensions in the region. Imperial said this was the fourth statement issued by the country on the issue this year.

Meanwhile, the Philippines and South Korea also agreed Saturday to strengthen their cooperation on security, infrastructure, energy, as well as people to people exchanges.

“I do believe that it is time that we start to work to elevate our bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. Our newly launched bilateral platforms on science and technology, fisheries, cooperation and maritime cooperation, all contribute to the deepening of this engagement,” Marcos told Yoon.