Korean ‘invasion’ of RP

For all his faults and giving too much unsolicited advice to Malacanang Palace on how to run the country, I must admit it is still comforting to listen to words of wisdom from elder statesmen like former President Fidel V. Ramos (FVR). I bumped into him during the National Day of Taiwan in a cocktail reception held at the Manila Hotel last Tuesday.

At the end of the reception, I engaged the former President to talk about his views on the current geo-politics that hugged the headlines that day, the underground nuclear testing done by North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea or DPRNK). Unlike Taiwan, the Philippines does not have any bilateral contacts with North Korea.

When I asked him about his take on the defiance by the Pyongyang government on the warning issued by the US and the international community over its conduct of a nuclear test, Ramos gave me a quick rundown of the history of other nuclear testings done as far back as those made at the Bikini Atoll after World War II. The Bikini Atoll is located in the central Pacific and is one of the 29 atolls and five single islands that form the Republic of the Marshall Islands. FVR reminded us that Bikini Atoll is perhaps best known for its role in a series of nuclear tests conducted by the US in the 1940s and 1950s.

Even as North Korea carried out this nuclear test, FVR believes there is no immediate threat to the Philippines despite the country’s proximity to North Korea. He minced no words in scoring what he noted was an "over-agitated" response and reactions by certain Philippine government officials on this Nokor nuclear testing. "Of course, we condemn it (nuclear testing)." But adding his vintage quip, FVR tells everyone who cares to listen, "Don’t panic!"

FVR likened this latest nuclear test done by Pyongyang, headed by Kim Jong Il, as something just to get the attention of the "big boys out there" like the US, Japan and the international community that have isolated North Korea. From his frequent travels in the region particularly to China, which has been supporting North Korea through these years of economic isolation from the rest of the world, FVR believes there is still hope for the "Sunshine Policy" or the peaceful engagement observed by South Korea in dealing with North Korea.

The so-called "Sunshine Policy" is now under review by the Seoul government headed by President Roh Moo-Hyun. Seoul has admitted it is going to be very difficult to continue with this engagement policy after this underground nuclear test conducted by North Korea. Under the "Sunshine Policy" initiated by Roh’s predecessor, former South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung, Seoul attempted to build social and economic ties with Pyongyang by giving it food and fertilizer.

Suspicions by the Seoul government that humanitarian aid given to North Korea over the past few years has helped the communist state build its military capability were proven true. I personally got these impressions during my several trips to Seoul. In one of my visits there in the recent past, I got to feel the fear and tension of the two Koreas in my trip to the so-called "demilitarized zone" in the 38th Parallel that separates North and South since the end of WW II.

For decades, South Koreans have been living with the fear of a possible attack from North Korea despite an armistice that was signed in 1953. This missile test only served to further make it impossible to achieve the national dream of many South Koreans of reunification with their families still living in the communist-ruled North Korea.

Thus, it is not surprising at all if more and more South Koreans have decided to live elsewhere, like here in the Philippines. In fact, at one time, I had South Korean neighbors until they moved over to another house in the B.F. Subdivision in Paranaque City. And if you move around B.F. you would see that a lot of Korean businesses have sprouted in their neighborhood, from Korean restaurants to taekwondo schools. They now also have a church.

Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez has noticed that South Koreans are swarming the various tourist spots in his province as well as in Boracay. He said at least three jumbo jets carrying nearly 1,600 Koreans are arriving daily to spend a few days of vacation here in our country. This number excludes those who fly directly to Clark in Angeles City and Subic on weekends just to play golf, he said. Records show that Korean tourist arrivals jumped by 18 percent to 321,308 in the first seven months of the year.

The Koreans are now the second biggest group of visitors coming to the Philippines next to the Americans. In one flight back from Seoul, I even encountered a batch of South Korean newly-wed couples who were all wearing identical attires as part of their marriage rituals, coming to the Philippines for their honeymoon.

Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano set a target of at least three million visitors next year. It has a tourism promotion fund of P1.1 billion, the bulk of which would be spent to attract tourists from Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. To entice more Korean tourists to visit our country, the Palawan solon supports the proposed $3 million in tourism promotion projects allocation in the 2007 budget of the Department of Tourism (DOT) that Congress is currently scrutinizing.

One strategy being considered by the DOT is to offer the famous "sand, sea and sun" attractions of our country as possible locale for Korean-novela films or soap drama regularly aired over local TV stations and encourage joint venture projects with Filipino TV/movie production firms. He particularly referred to a popular Korean novela "Jewel in the Palace" dubbed in Tagalog.

"The Korean invasion is in full swing," Alvarez said. The Palawan solon hinted the Korean government has offered P150 million assistance in building the airport in Busuanga in Palawan. Busuanga is an island off Palawan’s northern tip which the provincial government has been promoting as the next Boracay.

Talking about Korean presence in the Philippines, my good friend Makati Rep. Teodoro "Teddyboy" Locsin sent me a very funny text joke. I originally thought he was asking me about the latest news when I first read it. Here it goes: "Do you know the latest? Marami raw Koreans sa Congress. Tuwing may project daw, ang tanong ng mga taga-Congress: Eh magkano porsiento Korean?"

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