President Lee thanks PHL govt for being good host to Koreans

Korean President Lee Myung-Bak on Monday thanked the Philippine government for protecting their citizens in the country and its support to Korea in its rift with North Korea. “I also took today’s morning meeting as an opportunity to convey my deep appreciation to His Excellency and the government of the Philippines for providing protection to our nationals here in the Philippines and also for the Korean tourists visiting the Philippines," Lee said, through an interpreter, in his remarks after an expanded bilateral meeting with President Benigno Aquino III. Lee, who arrived on Sunday afternoon, is in the Philippines for a three-day state visit. “We believe that such measures by both governments for both of our respective nationals will lead to a better cooperation in not only on tourism and education but also in our overall friendship and partnership as well," Lee also said. At least 21 percent of foreign tourists in the country are Koreans. An estimated 740,000 Koreans visited the Philippines in 2010. For his part, President Aquino said that as in the past years, Korea remains the number one source of foreign tourists to the Philippines. He said the Philippines now host more than 115,000 Koreans who have taken up permanent residence in the country. President Aquino said he was similarly pleased to welcome the continuous rise in the number of Koreans who visit, study, or choose to permanently reside in the Philippines. "This is a clear indication of the pleasant and comfortable living and working environments in the Philippines which our government is constantly striving to improve," he said. Thanks for support Lee thanked President Aquino for his steadfast support following the incident at the attack and the sinking of one of their navy vessels to Chonan and also the shelling of their island of Yongpyong by the North Koreans. “The Filipino government has always been there by Koreans’ side providing instantaneous support and we showed our tremendous appreciation to His Excellency and the members of his government for their continuous support which is greatly appreciated by everyone in Korea," he said. Lee said he and Aquino agreed to continue their cooperation in order to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue. The two state leaders also talked about maritime issues involving their countries and agreed that they will continue to work together so that they can peacefully resolve the issue according to international rule, norms, and standards. Lee expressed hope that his visit to the Philippines “will be another auspicious start to further strengthening our partnership and friendship between our two countries." – Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News