(UPDATE) SOUTH Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during Lee’s visit to Manila next week. Malacañang Press Officer Claire Castro said Friday Lee will be in the Philippines from March 3 to 4 on the invitation of Marcos. “The two leaders are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting to discuss various areas of cooperation between the two countries,” Castro said during a press conference. “These include cooperation in defense, maritime, economic and development fields, as well as people-to-people ties,” she said. Marcos and Lee were also expected to take up regional matters and international issues that concern their nations. It will be Lee’s first visit to the Philippines, and his first state visit after the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the Philippines and South Korea took effect on Dec. 31, 2024, Castro said. Marcos and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos will welcome Lee and his first lady, Kim Hea Kyung, in Malacañang on March 3. Lee’s visit also coincides with the 77th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations in March 1949, Castro said. Marcos and Lee held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, in October 2025. Leaders of the House of Representatives on Friday see Lee’s state visit as a “clear and welcome sign” of the strength and maturity of the partnership between the two countries. “The Philippines values its strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea. Our relationship has been built over decades — through shared sacrifice, growing trade, strong defense cooperation, and deep people-to-people ties. President Lee’s visit sends a strong message that we intend to move this partnership forward in a meaningful way,” Speaker Faustino Dy III said. Dy said the two countries “share common principles — democracy, respect for international law, and a commitment to a rules-based order.” “But beyond these principles, what matters is how our cooperation improves the lives of our people. We look forward to expanding collaboration in trade, innovation, security, infrastructure, and exchanges between our citizens,” he said. He added that relations between the two countries have deep historic roots. Filipino soldiers fought in the Korean War in 1950 through the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea or Peftok. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman and Pangasinan Rep. Rachel Arenas said Lee’s state visit comes at a “pivotal time” for the country’s Asean chairmanship. “It offers an opportunity to deepen Asean’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Korea and to advance cooperation on maritime security, digital transformation, climate action, and economic development,” Arenas said. She commended Lee for his leadership and vision for regional stability and cooperation. “The House of Representatives looks forward to working closely with our counterparts in the Korean National Assembly to further strengthen legislative exchanges and cooperation for the benefit of our peoples,” Arena said.