It has been a little more than a month since I arrived in Manila as the new Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines. The warm welcome and fruitful exchanges I have experienced so far gave me a glimpse of the deep friendship between our two countries. Our close ties have significantly grown ever since the Philippines sent 7,420 soldiers to defend democracy and peace in Korea during the Korean War. During Korea’s post-war recovery, the Philippines assisted in the country’s rehabilitation as a member of the UN Commission for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea.