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Sam Beltran

South Korea’s recent clarification on potential military agreements with the Philippines highlights its delicate diplomatic balancing act amid tensions with China and North Korea.
South Korean Ambassador Lee Sang-hwa mentioned at a security forum on Friday that a Visiting Forces Agreement was “on the table” and under consideration – though the country’s embassy in Manila later clarified that no formal progress had been made.
Analysts see this as a reflection of South Korea’s cautious approach to strengthening alliances while managing regional pressures.
Joshua Espeña from the International Development and Security Cooperation think tank said that the Philippines was eager to elevate its relationship with South Korea to a strategic partnership.
Manila previously treated the East Asian nation “purely as a source of defence procurement”, Espeña told This Week in Asia, but now “the Philippines hopes to upgrade its relations with Seoul as a strategic partner like Australia and Japan”.
As far as the Philippines is concerned, the Republic of Korea is a strategic partner
Sherwin Ona, political scientist
Despite the embassy’s apparent backtracking, Sherwin Ona of the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taiwan said that the Philippines viewed South Korea as a key strategic partner, especially following their recent free-trade agreement and defence cooperation initiatives.
“As far as the Philippines is concerned, the Republic of Korea is a strategic partner for its security and economic interests,” he told This Week in Asia.
South Korea’s commitment
Experts advocate for increased South Korean investment in the Philippines, particularly in its defence and maritime capabilities.
At Friday’s forum, Park Jae-jok, an associate professor of international studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, said that while South Korea had historically aligned its regional security actions with US strategic interests, it was now aiming to assert itself as a “global pivotal power”.
He said this shift reflects Seoul’s desire to strengthen its role within the broader US security framework.

The Philippines should be recognised as more than just the “Pearl Harbour of Asia”, political analyst Richard Heydarian said during a panel session at Friday’s forum.
He urged Manila and Seoul to foster comprehensive strategic cooperation through capacity building and a deeper economic partnership, including revitalising the Philippines’ defence economy – such as its shipbuilding sector, a field where South Korea has already made significant contributions.
However, South Korea must also navigate complex relations with China and manage threats from the North.
“The leash that keeps South Korea from a full pivot to the larger Indo-Pacific maritime space is the immediate threat from North Korea,” Espeña said. “While it now exports defence products, it keeps most of its arsenal for itself in a doomsday day scenario, which is Pyongyang’s invasion of its territory.”

He added that any moves in the South China Sea by South Korea “might result in a misunderstanding” on the Korean peninsula.
Despite these challenges, Espeña argued that a visiting force agreement or reciprocal access arrangement could benefit Seoul by simultaneously countering Beijing and Pyongyang.
“Imagine US allies linked together via arrangements … into a big, coordinated command,” he said. “That’s the quality of defence cooperation that some personalities in Seoul might be looking at.”
The region could slip into a Cold War-like stalemate if “we don’t get our act together”, Heydarian warned, stressing the importance of collaboration between mid-sized powers like South Korea and the Philippines.
Dr. Shin Beomchul, a former vice-minister of defence in South Korea, suggested that Seoul and Manila should engage more in non-traditional security issues to maintain their shared interest in a rules-based order.

Economic ties
Amid these challenges, Dindo Manhit, president of strategic research organisation Stratbase ADR, urged the Philippine government to ratify the free trade agreement it signed with South Korea last year to capitalise on economic opportunities.
The Philippine Senate ratified the pact on Monday, a year after presidents Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and Yoon Suk-yeol signed the deal in Jakarta.
Analysts suggest that South Korea could play a vital role in the Philippines’ defence modernisation and broader economic development.
Ona said Seoul could be a strategic development partner “in defence industrialisation initiatives through technology transfer and joint development projects”.
“The transportation, energy, and telecoms sectors are also potential areas for cooperation,” he said.
Hosting Seoul-based defence and technology companies might be a good opportunity
Joshua Espeña, strategic affairs analyst
Analysts believe South Korea may be willing to broaden its strategic horizons by investing in US allies and sourcing skilled human resources to revive the Philippines’ defence industries, leading to more academic and cultural partnerships.
“Given that the Philippines is willing to open factories in many parts of the archipelago, hosting Seoul-based defence and technology companies might be a good opportunity” to create valuable linkages for Manila as a new player in the defence industry, Espeña said.
He also emphasised the need for clear communication from Manila to strengthen ties.
“By clearly elucidating what Manila needs from Seoul, reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement is imaginable,” Espeña said.


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FA-50 fighter jets, newly purchased from South Korea, pictured in the Philippines in 2016. Manila previously treated South Korea purely as a source of defence procurement, analysts say. Photo: Reuters

A US supply ship is seen docked at a shipyard at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Analysts say the Southeast Asian nation should be recognised as more than just the “Pearl Harbour of Asia”. Photo: Bloomberg

North Korean leader Kim Jong -un oversees a test launch of a ballistic missile on September 18. Photo: Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) and South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol prepare to pose for a photo at an Asean-South Korea Summit in Jakarta last year. Photo: AFP

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Soldiers prepare a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System a joint exercise with the US in Fort Magsaysay, the Philippines, earlier in August. Photo: AFP


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A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) during live fire exercises in Laur, Nueva Ecija province, the Philippines, on August 9. Photo: EPA-EFE / Philippine Army

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A China Coast Guard ship is seen from a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in disputed waters of the South China Sea. Photo: TNS

The United Nations Security Council. The Philippines plans to bring its territorial dispute with China to the UN. Photo: AP

An aerial view shows the BRP Sierra Madre on the contested Second Thomas Shoal, in the South China Sea. Photo: Reuters

South China Sea: Philippines urged to forge global cooperation over marine life damage

A Philippine fishing boat near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. Photo: AFP

Structures on the Chinese-occupied Subi reef, locally called Zamora reef, in the South China Sea. Photo: AP

Fishing nets on the seabed in the waters of the Second Thomas Shoal, referred to by Beijing as Ren’ai Jiao. Photo: Xinhua

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A group of 100 Filipino women arrive in Seoul on August 6 to take part in South Korea’s first-ever pilot project for domestic workers from the country. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE

An elderly woman walks along a riverside path in Seoul. South Korea is forecast to have nearly 20 million people aged over 65 by next year. Photo: AFP

Filipino women (in blue jackets) arrive at Incheon International Airport in Seoul on August 6 to take part in the pilot programme. Photo: Yonhap/EPA-EFE

This Week in Asia

Politics

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Asia

Southeast Asia

East Asia

Recent discussions hint at a potential Visiting Forces Agreement, signalling a shift in defence dynamics between the two nations


Recent discussions hint at a potential Visiting Forces Agreement, signalling a shift in defence dynamics between the two nations.


Defence

The Philippines

Diplomacy

Trade