The Philippines and South Korea signed a fisheries agreement at the recently concluded Asean-ROK Commemorative Summit in Busan. Asean, of course, is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, while ROK or Republic of Korea is the formal name of South Korea. On the surface, there are many reasons to welcome the agreement. For one, it aims to promote cooperation between the signatory countries and open up the lucrative South Korean market to Philippine marine exports. But there is a backdrop to this story that gives it added dimension and raises regional security concerns, which has do with a country not party to the agreement, North Korea.
Japanese officials rescue North Korean fishermen off the northwestern coast of the Noto Peninsula. Photo: AP