MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III is set to visit the Republic of Korea in October.

According to a statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Aquino was invited by South Korean President Park Geun-hye. It will be their first summit meeting.

The trip to Korea means an especially busy and travel-filled October for Aquino. The President is also set to visit Bali, Indonesia for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit and Brunei for the ASEAN summit next month, as well as welcome President Barack Obama who is scheduled to visit to the Philippines as part of his Southeast Asian tour.

Several issues are expected to be discussed during the two-day visit, scheduled for October 17 to 18. Among them are bilateral political issues, defense-related concerns, economic issues and development cooperation. The two leaders are also expected to exchange views on regional and international challenges.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino will also meet with the Korean business community since the trip is in line with Aquino’s “thrust to attract businesses to the Philippines.” Aquino will also meet with Filipinos living in Korea.

She said the delegation that will be accompanying Aquino will be announced a few days before his departure.

The Republic of Korea is one of the Philippines’ main partners in trade, investments and development cooperation, and is one of the country’s main source of tourists. In 2012, nearly a quarter of tourist arrivals came from Korea, with more than a million tourists coming from the Republic.

The two countries first established relations 64 years ago in 1949, after the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) joined the UN-led coalition in defending the freedom of the Korean people during the Korean War in 1950. – Rappler.com