Philippine, South Korea armies see ‘ironclad defense’ with military cooperation

The Philippine Army (PA) and the Republic of Korea Army vowed stronger ties on military education and training, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and other areas of cooperation amid security and defense challenges in the region and beyond.

PA Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr. and ROKA Chief of Staff Gen. Nam Yeongshi signed on January 20 the Terms of Reference (TOR) that sealed the military cooperation between the two countries.

”I have this hope that through this TOR, the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea will have an ironclad alliance that is ready to face security and defense challenges not only in our respective countries but as well as in the Indo-Pacific Region,” Brawner said in a news release following the virtual signing ceremony.

The TOR establishes an Army-to-Army level collaboration in accordance with the June 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippines’ Department of National Defense and South Korea’s Ministry of Defense.

The TOR covers the following areas of cooperation: Reciprocal Visits, Mutual Exchange of Army Related Insights and Information, Military Education and Training, Logistics and Maintenance, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Military Medicine and Medical Support, Subject Matter Expert Exchanges, Military Technology Cooperation, Research and Development, Military Sports and Cultural Activities, and other areas of mutual interest.

Nam expressed gratitude to the Philippines for deploying forces to defend South Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s.

Brawner thanked ROKA for its arsenal and equipment support to the Philippine Army.

It can be recalled that PA also sent a delegation to the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibit in October 2021.—LDF, GMA News