South Korea, 17 September 2010 – Ushered by the sounds of bugle at the Philippine Monument in Goyang City, former President Fidel V. Ramos led a wreath-laying ceremony paying tribute to the Filipino soldiers who fought in the Korean War.

“Sixty years ago today, the world witnessed gallant Filipino officers and men fight side by side with an international coalition in defense of freedom,” Pres. Ramos said before Korean and Filipino war veterans. Pres. Ramos was a member of the 20th Battalion Combat Team, the second batch of soldiers deployed under the Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea (PEFTOK) to help defend South Korea from communist invasion. The Philippines dispatched 7,420 Filipino from 1950 to 1955 as part of the UN operation, of whom 112 died in the course of duty. The Philippine Monument in Goyang City, a towering structure 21.5 meters high, was erected by the South Korean Government in October 1974 to pay tribute to the Filipino soldiers who served during the Korean War. Pres. Ramos and the PEFTOK veterans also visited two Philippine memorials in Yeoncheon County on 16 September 2010. The memorials were erected after the war in honor of the Filipino soldiers who fought the Battle of Yultong in 1951. The Battle saw the successful defense by the 10th Battalion Combat Team of a three-mile line but resulted in heavy casualties. Pres. Ramos will also visit the Philippine Marker at the UN Memorial Cemetery in Busan City on 18 September 2010 prior to his return to Manila. Pres. Ramos leads a delegation of 30 Filipino war veterans and their families. They came to South Korea upon the invitation of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs for weeklong activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Korean War. In a related event, Pres. Ramos delivered a lecture today on the “Evolving Regional Architecture” at the ASEAN-Korea Center in Seoul, where he emphasized the role that regional cooperation will play in establishing long-term peace and stability. “The alternative to regional unity is to become marginalized in global economic competition,” he said, adding that an East Asian Economic Grouping has the potential of becoming the most powerful regional bloc in view of the multiple growth engines offered by China, Japan, South Korea and ASEAN. Pres. Ramos also highlighted the essential centrality of the Republic of Korea as the “ground zero” of enduring peace and sustainable development efforts that all freedom-loving nations must pursue to achieve a better future. The lecture was attended by various groups including government officials, businessmen and members of the academe. “Given the political modernization of Japan, the resurgence of China, India and South Korea, and continuing optimism in Southeast Asia, a new wave of growth should be cresting in East Asia,” he asserted. “The strategic challenge will be for all our countries and all organizations devoted to regional development to ensure that the spirit of cooperation is always stronger than the competitive impulse,” added Pres. Ramos. It was during the term of Pres. Ramos that ASEAN-Korea relations were elevated to a Summit level in 1997. ASEAN and South Korea first initiated sectoral dialogue relations in November 1989. ASEAN accorded South Korea the status of a Dialogue Partner in July 1991. The ASEAN-Korea Center was established in March 2009 to assist in the promotion of trade and culture between ASEAN and South Korea. Its establishment coincided with the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN-ROK dialogue relations