SEOUL, 9 July 2014 – Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul S. Hernandez visited Pyeongtaek, a key port 70km south of Seoul, on Wednesday, 9 July 2013, in the light of a plan to establish institutional linkages with the international container port in Batangas, 106km south of Manila.

Ambassador Hernandez discussed with Mr. Jung Seung Bong, President of the Gyeonggi Pyongtaek Port Corporation at the Gyeonggi Pyongtaek Port Information Center, a proposal that would link Pyeongtaek, Korea’s fastest growing port, with Batangas, which serves the CALABARZON industrial zone in Southern Luzon island.

“I hope the proposed sister arrangement between the port of Batangas in the Philippines and Pyongtaek port would prosper and contribute towards increasing the volume of trade between the Philippines and South Korea,” Ambassador Hernandez told Mr Jung.

Mr. Jung, who also met First Secretary and Consul General Iric C. Arribas and Special Trade Representative and Commercial Counselor Nicanor Bautista in the visiting Embassy team, expressed confidence that through enhanced partnership with the port of Batangas, the Pyongtaek port would be able to expand trade with the Philippines.

Pyongtaek port combined with that of Dangjin across Asan Bay ranks 5th among the 31 ports in South Korea in terms of cargo handling. It is of strategic importance given its central location in the Korean peninsula and its proximity to 387 industrial complexes housing hi-tech industries and major automobile manufacturers.

The Batangas Containter Terminal, whose business more than doubled in late 2013 and early 2014 thanks to imports from Singapore and exports to China and Taiwan, is being proposed along with Subic port in Zambales Province as alternatives to decongest container traffic in Manila’s ports.

In 2013, 3 percent of the total cargo volume handled by Pyongtaek port originated from the Philippines.