EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC
OF THE PHILIPPINES

SEOUL REPUBLIC OF KOREA

news

Philippines Joins 2024 Busan-ASEAN Esports Global Exchange

12 December 2024, Busan. The Philippine Embassy in Korea represented by Ambassador Theresa Dizon-De Vega took part in the opening program for the 2024 Busan-ASEAN Esports Global Exchange which took place on November 29, 2024, at the Busan Esports Arena. The event was organized by the Busan Metropolitan City, Busan Global City Foundation (BGCF), and the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency (BIPA). The event aimed to foster cultural exchange and promote the growing esports industry among youth from Busan and ten ASEAN countries, including the Philippines.

The event featured a competitive tournament with teams of four representing different ASEAN nations. Over 2,500 spectators attended over the course of the competition sessions, and the competition culminated in an award ceremony where the top three teams were recognized. Competing teams came from schools with a high concentration of multicultural students in the Busan Metropolitan Area.

Among the special guests at the opening event were Busan Vice Mayor for Administrative Affairs Lee Jun-seung, BGCF CEO Jun Yong-Woo, BIPA CEO Kim Tae-yeol, and ASEAN Culture House Director General Lee In Hyuck.

In his welcoming remarks BGCF CEO Jun Yong-Woo underscored the event’s role in fostering more collaboration among ASEAN countries and Busan in the key emerging sectors of gaming and digital innovation. Busan Vice Mayor Lee Jun Seung in his keynote remarks emphasized Busan’s commitment to becoming a global Esports hub and touted the construction of city’s esports arena as a major step forwards towards this goal. He expressed appreciation to nationals from ASEAN countries for taking part in the event.

In her congratulatory remarks, Ambassador Dizon-de Vega shared that Esports is fast becoming a popular platform for sports and innovation engagement between ASEAN and Korea in general and with ROK innovation hubs like Busan, in particular. She likewise noted that in ASEAN there has been a surge in Esports popularity and that the Philippines as host of the 2019 SEA Games was the first country to present Esports as a medal competition sport in the SEAG. Increasing interest in Esports has led to the offering of a four-year university degree in Esports Science at the Lyceum of the Philippines.

Representatives from each ASEAN country received their official competition armbands from the special guests at the event.

Busan has been the longtime host of the G-Star Convention, one of the largest gaming conventions in the world and where there is regular participation from Philippine gaming and related companies. END

Other News

November 17, 2025
PH AMBASSADOR CALLS ON JAPANESE AMBASSADOR IN SEOUL

Seoul, 4 November 2025 — Philippine Ambassador-designate to the Republic of Korea Bernadette Therese Fernandez paid a courtesy call on H.E. Koichi Mizushima, Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Korea. The two Ambassadors exchanged views on recent APEC engagements in the ROK and efforts to strengthen multilateral cooperation among like-minded partners in support of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Ambassador Mizushima also recalled his fond memories of his earlier posting in Manila as a young diplomat. The meeting underscored the warm relations between the Philippines and Japan, and our shared commitment to advancing regional peace, stability, and prosperity. END

Read More
November 13, 2025
PRESIDENT MARCOS HONORS FILIPINO KOREAN WAR VETERANS AT THE UNITED NATIONS MEMORIAL CEMETERY IN KOREA

Busan, Republic of Korea - H.E. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, paid tribute to the valor and sacrifice of Filipino soldiers who served in the Korean War (1950–1953) during a solemn visit to the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea (UNMCK) in Busan on 2 November 2025. President Marcos, accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, was received by Ambassador SUH Jeong-in, Custodian of the UNMCK. Also in attendance were Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office Dave O. Gomez, and Philippine Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez. Representing the Government of the Republic of Korea was Minister Kwon Oh-eul of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA). At the Philippine marker within the cemetery grounds, President Marcos laid a wreath and offered prayers in honor of the 7,420 Filipino soldiers who served under the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK). The President paid special tribute to the 116 Filipino servicemen who gave their lives in the line of duty, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with their Korean and United Nations comrades in defense of peace, freedom, and democracy. The President also visited the Wall of Remembrance, where he read the names of the fallen Filipino PEFTOK heroes, some of whom hailed from his own hometown, before bowing his head in silent reflection. In the UNMCK guest book, President Marcos wrote:“We honour the Filipino soldiers of PEFTOK who valiantly fought and died shoulder-to-shoulder with their Korean comrades for freedom and democracy. Let us honour their legacy with lives that hold these principles still true. Mabuhay!” Following the ceremony, President Marcos and the First Lady participated in a ceremonial tree-planting at the Garden of the Heads of State, symbolizing the enduring friendship between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea and the lasting peace and solidarity forged through shared sacrifice. The visit reaffirmed the Philippines’ enduring commitment to peace, democracy, and international solidarity. It also underscored the shared history and steadfast friendship between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea, forged in the crucible of war and strengthened by a common dedication to peace and prosperity. The Philippines was among the first countries to send troops to the Korean Peninsula in 1950, deploying five battalion combat teams under PEFTOK as part of the United Nations Command. The courage and sacrifice of the 7,420 Filipino soldiers remain a proud testament to the Philippines’ unwavering contribution to global peace and security. The United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea is the only UN-designated memorial cemetery in the world and serves as the final resting place for over 2,300 soldiers from 14 nations who fought under the UN Command during the Korean War. The Philippines’ participation and continuing remembrance reflect the depth of the two nations’ historical ties and their mutual commitment to the values of democracy and peace. END

Read More
November 11, 2025
PH AMBASSADOR RECEIVES ROK CANDIDATE TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE, JUDGE JIN HYUN PAIK

SEOUL, 6 November 2025 — Ambassador-designate Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez received Judge Jin Hyun Paik, the Republic of Korea’s candidate to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the 2027–2036 term, during a courtesy call at the Philippine Embassy in Seoul.

Read More
VIEW ALL

© 2024 Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines, Seoul Republic of Korea. All rights reserved.

Powered by: