SOUTH Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday asked President Rodrigo Duterte to protect South Korean residents and tourists here following the number of incidents in which some Korean expatriates were killed or injured at the hands of Philippine authorities.
Moon said the ties between the two countries would remain strong but he wanted an assurance his countrymen living here would be protected.
“Mr. President, I ask for your attention and support so that the Koreans who visit and reside in the Philippines can have a safe and enjoyable stay,” Moon said.
“I will also pay close attention and make my best efforts to ensure that the Filipinos visiting and living in Korea can be safe and comfortable.”
Cheong Wa Dae, spokesman of the Korean Presidential Palace, said that as of the end of 2016 there were some 90,000 South Korean residents in the Philippines and around 57,000 Philippine residents in South Korea.
The number of visitors between the two countries topped 2 million the same year, with some 1.47 million South Koreans traveling to the Philippines.
A South Korean businessman, Jee Ick Joo, was abducted from his home in Angeles City on Oct. 18, 2016. The kidnappers”•who turned out to be members of the Philippine National police”•accused him of being involved in the illegal drug trade and demanded billions of pesos in ransom.
He was later killed inside Camp Crame before being burned and his ashes thrown into a toilet bowl”•something that shocked the Korean expatriate community.
Duterte apologized to South Korea said those responsible would be held accountable.
Seoul, through its ambassador to Manila Jae-Shin Kim, accepted the apology on Jan. 26, 2017 but reiterated its call for a quick resolution of the case.
Moon also asked for the Philippines’ continued support for Seoul’s efforts to rid North Korea of its nuclear weapons.
“It’s a great pleasure that our two peoples are deepening mutual understanding and friendship through close exchanges. And I hope that we could make joint efforts to further strengthen this trend,” he said.