문대통령, 오늘 두테르테 필리핀 대통령과 정상회담
Our starting point is Rodrigo Duterte's state visit to Seoul.
This afternoon the filipino leader sat down for a summit with President Moon Jae-in.
We now connect to our Cheongwadae correspondent Hwang Hojun who's on the line for us.
Hojun, what can you tell us?
Well, Daniel, President Duterte has become the very first head of state from an ASEAN member country to visit Seoul since President Moon took office.
This is actually the second time the current Presidents of South Korea and the Philippines have met.
The first was on the sidelines of the ASEAN+3 summit and the East Asian Summit, last November.
Just moments ago, they signed an M-O-U pledging cooperation between their two countries in areas including transportation, trade, and renewable energy.
The signing came immediately after the summit, which included not just the leaders but other officials from both sides as well.
There will be a joint press conference shortly.
And we'll have to wait and see, but we're expecting the two leaders will highly evaluate the 69 years of diplomatic relations between their countries, while also stressing their commitment to the denuclearization and establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The Philippines has been in fact extremely supportive of the Moon administration's efforts for the peaceful resolution of the North Korea nuclear issue,... as well as the recent improvements in inter-Korean relations.
Economic cooperation between Seoul and Manila will also likely be mentioned, as President Moon has been pushing ahead with what's called his "New Southern Policy" seeking to expand South Korea's diplomatic relations and economic cooperation with ASEAN nations.
President Duterte has his own long-term policy called "Ambisyon Natin 2040" aimed at transforming the Philippines into a mid-to-high-income nation by the year 2040 by creating a trustworthy, poverty-free middle-class society.
A dinner banquet and cultural performances hosted by the South Korean president will be held afterward.
Back to you.
