First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos welcomed President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung to Malacañang following their arrival on Tuesday for their first state visit to the Philippines.

Mrs. Marcos, together with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., toured the Korean First Couple around the Palace, extending Filipino warmth and hospitality.

“Annyeonghaseyo and welcome to the Philippines, Your Excellency Lee Jae Myung and Mrs. Kim Hea Kyung,” the First Lady wrote on her Facebook page.

“It was an honor to receive the President and First Lady of the Republic of Korea as we continue to strengthen the friendship between our two nations and peoples,” she said.

It was the first visit of President Lee to the Philippines.

President Marcos said he and Mrs. Marcos were very pleased that he had accepted their invitation for a state visit.

Follow-up meet

“It follows our meeting in Gyeongju on the sidelines of the APEC Summit last October 2025. President Lee’s visit marks an important milestone in our bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea. On this very day, we commemorate the 77th anniversary of our diplomatic ties, which have been enriched and strengthened by moments of solidarity, including the Korean War in 1950, through the deployment of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea,” Marcos said.

“Our decades of cordial and productive relations, which we elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2024, span various areas of mutual interest,” he added.

Reciprocating the warm welcome, President Lee said they were grateful because the Philippines was the first Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with Korea and the first to dispatch troops during the Korean War.

“Over the last 77 years, our relationship has continued to grow, building on our historic bonds and friendship, as well as robust, substantial cooperation,” he said.