The Koreas | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

South Korea and the Philippines Expand Ties in Nuclear Energy and Critical Minerals

By expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia, South Korea seeks to share its expertise and deepen collaboration in key sectors.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s two-day state visit to the Philippines from March 3 to 4 carried symbolic weight, marking the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. A senior presidential official noted that “the numbers ‘3-3-7-7’ carry symbolic significance for the friendship between the two nations,” given that the Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with South Korea in 1949. 

Lee’s prior visit to Singapore, which will chair ASEAN next year, followed by the Philippines, this year’s chair, reflected a calculated effort to engage both the present and future leadership of the bloc. In this vein, Lee remarked that “the Republic of Korea will proactively support the Philippines as this year’s ASEAN chair.”

Furthermore, Lee described the Philippines as a “an old friend and a key partner nation to Korea,” noting that Manila had sent more than 7,400 troops to the Korean War, the largest contribution among Asian countries. Lee paid tribute by laying a wreath at the Korean War Memorial Pylon in honor of Philippine veterans who fought in the Korean War. Echoing Lee’s remarks, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that “the Filipino people hold deep gratitude and affection for the people of the Republic of Korea.”

During the meeting, Lee and Marcos agreed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation. The centerpiece of the summit was collaboration on critical mineral supply chains and civil nuclear technology. Lee underscored the strategic value of Manila’s reserves of critical minerals, including cobalt and nickel, which are essential to South Korea’s semiconductor, battery, and manufacturing industries. In fact, the Philippines possesses the world’s fifth-largest reserves of cobalt and nickel. This comes amid Lee’s broader initiative to diversify South Korea’s critical mineral supply chains beyond China through closer cooperation with resource-rich middle powers. 

Referring to the two countries as “ideal partners,” Lee underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in critical minerals by leveraging Seoul’s strengths in advanced technologies and Manila’s abundant mineral reserves. On this matter, he remarked, “We agreed to expand collaboration on critical mineral supply chains through the MOU on critical minerals cooperation.” 

Despite possessing an estimated $1 trillion in untapped reserves of copper, gold, nickel, zinc, and silver, the Philippines has developed only a fraction of its mineral wealth, with roughly 5 percent explored to date. Lee is thus expanding his critical minerals strategy beyond South America to include Southeast Asia, building on his recent engagement with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Speaking on the decision to strengthen cooperation in civilian nuclear technology, Lee stated, “We agreed to enhance substantive cooperation in the field of nuclear power… Based on the results of the feasibility study on resuming the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and the memorandum of understanding on cooperation for the introduction of new nuclear power projects, our two countries will position themselves as optimal partners in nuclear energy cooperation.”

In the wake of the 1973 oil shock, construction of the 621 MWe Westinghouse unit at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976 and was completed in 1984, but the plant was never commissioned. In 2022, nearly four decades later, Philippine authorities sought to revive the dormant project in response to mounting power shortages, with the goal of commencing operations by 2032.

To insulate themselves against turmoil in the Middle East, particularly as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted oil shipments and threatened broader energy security, Southeast Asian countries are increasingly turning to renewable energy and nuclear power. Amid rising demand, Seoul is seeking to tap into the region’s burgeoning nuclear energy market.

Moreover, Lee emphasized that Seoul and Manila had “agreed to further expand practical cooperation on critical minerals and related supply chains.” He also underscored the complementary strengths of the two sides, noting that “Korea has advanced technologies, while the Philippines is rich in mineral resources, which makes the two countries ideal partners in the critical minerals sector.” This culminated in the signing of ten MOUs at Malacañan Palace, covering areas such as AI, cybersecurity, defense, digital technology, cultural cooperation, veterans’ affairs, agriculture, and economic cooperation.

Speaking at the Korea-Philippines Business Forum, Lee highlighted that “based on this mutually complementary industrial structure, the two countries will be able to generate strong synergies,” particularly through South Korea’s support in shipbuilding and civilian nuclear energy. By strengthening people-to-people exchanges and deepening cultural exchange with Manila, Lee sought to operationalize his “CSP (contributor, springboard, and partner) vision,” which he unveiled last October. 

Drawing on the initials of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Lee’s CSP vision casts Seoul as a “contributor” to Southeast Asian youth development, a “springboard” for innovation and growth, and a “partner” in promoting regional peace and stability. Blue House spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated, “This bilateral visit will serve as a crucial opportunity to materialize and implement the ‘CSP Vision,’ South Korea’s diplomatic vision for ASEAN announced at last year’s Korea-ASEAN Summit.” 

Lee’s new CSP vision differs from his predecessor Moon Jae-in’s New Southern Policy, which emphasized broad goals such as peace and prosperity, by seeking to harness the potential of ASEAN’s vibrant youth, who account for roughly one-third of the region’s population, or approximately 224.2 million people. In other words, South Korea is not only committed to regional peace and stability but is also willing to support ASEAN youth in pursuing their aspirations and realizing their full potential. 

South Korea’s bilateral summit with the Philippines will help mitigate rising supply chain uncertainty. For resource-scarce countries such as South Korea, overreliance on a single source of critical minerals such as China poses significant risks. Seoul is therefore recalibrating its strategy to diversify its supply portfolio. Against this backdrop, the Philippines and ASEAN as a whole emerges as a promising partner for Lee, given its abundance of natural resources and geographic proximity.

By expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia, South Korea seeks to share its expertise and deepen collaboration in key sectors such as shipbuilding, defense, nuclear energy, and AI. As ASEAN member states continue to hedge amid deepening Sino-U.S. rivalry, the bloc is increasingly looking to strengthen ties with middle powers such as South Korea, its second-largest trading partner. In proposing to host a special ASEAN-South Korea summit in Seoul in 2029 to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties, Lee seeks to deepen his engagement with ASEAN through a more pragmatic Southeast Asia policy than that of his predecessors. 

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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s two-day state visit to the Philippines from March 3 to 4 carried symbolic weight, marking the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. A senior presidential official noted that “the numbers ‘3-3-7-7’ carry symbolic significance for the friendship between the two nations,” given that the Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with South Korea in 1949. 

Lee’s prior visit to Singapore, which will chair ASEAN next year, followed by the Philippines, this year’s chair, reflected a calculated effort to engage both the present and future leadership of the bloc. In this vein, Lee remarked that “the Republic of Korea will proactively support the Philippines as this year’s ASEAN chair.”

Furthermore, Lee described the Philippines as a “an old friend and a key partner nation to Korea,” noting that Manila had sent more than 7,400 troops to the Korean War, the largest contribution among Asian countries. Lee paid tribute by laying a wreath at the Korean War Memorial Pylon in honor of Philippine veterans who fought in the Korean War. Echoing Lee’s remarks, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that “the Filipino people hold deep gratitude and affection for the people of the Republic of Korea.”

During the meeting, Lee and Marcos agreed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation. The centerpiece of the summit was collaboration on critical mineral supply chains and civil nuclear technology. Lee underscored the strategic value of Manila’s reserves of critical minerals, including cobalt and nickel, which are essential to South Korea’s semiconductor, battery, and manufacturing industries. In fact, the Philippines possesses the world’s fifth-largest reserves of cobalt and nickel. This comes amid Lee’s broader initiative to diversify South Korea’s critical mineral supply chains beyond China through closer cooperation with resource-rich middle powers. 

Referring to the two countries as “ideal partners,” Lee underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation in critical minerals by leveraging Seoul’s strengths in advanced technologies and Manila’s abundant mineral reserves. On this matter, he remarked, “We agreed to expand collaboration on critical mineral supply chains through the MOU on critical minerals cooperation.” 

Despite possessing an estimated $1 trillion in untapped reserves of copper, gold, nickel, zinc, and silver, the Philippines has developed only a fraction of its mineral wealth, with roughly 5 percent explored to date. Lee is thus expanding his critical minerals strategy beyond South America to include Southeast Asia, building on his recent engagement with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Speaking on the decision to strengthen cooperation in civilian nuclear technology, Lee stated, “We agreed to enhance substantive cooperation in the field of nuclear power… Based on the results of the feasibility study on resuming the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and the memorandum of understanding on cooperation for the introduction of new nuclear power projects, our two countries will position themselves as optimal partners in nuclear energy cooperation.”

In the wake of the 1973 oil shock, construction of the 621 MWe Westinghouse unit at the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant began in 1976 and was completed in 1984, but the plant was never commissioned. In 2022, nearly four decades later, Philippine authorities sought to revive the dormant project in response to mounting power shortages, with the goal of commencing operations by 2032.

To insulate themselves against turmoil in the Middle East, particularly as tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted oil shipments and threatened broader energy security, Southeast Asian countries are increasingly turning to renewable energy and nuclear power. Amid rising demand, Seoul is seeking to tap into the region’s burgeoning nuclear energy market.

Moreover, Lee emphasized that Seoul and Manila had “agreed to further expand practical cooperation on critical minerals and related supply chains.” He also underscored the complementary strengths of the two sides, noting that “Korea has advanced technologies, while the Philippines is rich in mineral resources, which makes the two countries ideal partners in the critical minerals sector.” This culminated in the signing of ten MOUs at Malacañan Palace, covering areas such as AI, cybersecurity, defense, digital technology, cultural cooperation, veterans’ affairs, agriculture, and economic cooperation.

Speaking at the Korea-Philippines Business Forum, Lee highlighted that “based on this mutually complementary industrial structure, the two countries will be able to generate strong synergies,” particularly through South Korea’s support in shipbuilding and civilian nuclear energy. By strengthening people-to-people exchanges and deepening cultural exchange with Manila, Lee sought to operationalize his “CSP (contributor, springboard, and partner) vision,” which he unveiled last October. 

Drawing on the initials of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, Lee’s CSP vision casts Seoul as a “contributor” to Southeast Asian youth development, a “springboard” for innovation and growth, and a “partner” in promoting regional peace and stability. Blue House spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated, “This bilateral visit will serve as a crucial opportunity to materialize and implement the ‘CSP Vision,’ South Korea’s diplomatic vision for ASEAN announced at last year’s Korea-ASEAN Summit.” 

Lee’s new CSP vision differs from his predecessor Moon Jae-in’s New Southern Policy, which emphasized broad goals such as peace and prosperity, by seeking to harness the potential of ASEAN’s vibrant youth, who account for roughly one-third of the region’s population, or approximately 224.2 million people. In other words, South Korea is not only committed to regional peace and stability but is also willing to support ASEAN youth in pursuing their aspirations and realizing their full potential. 

South Korea’s bilateral summit with the Philippines will help mitigate rising supply chain uncertainty. For resource-scarce countries such as South Korea, overreliance on a single source of critical minerals such as China poses significant risks. Seoul is therefore recalibrating its strategy to diversify its supply portfolio. Against this backdrop, the Philippines and ASEAN as a whole emerges as a promising partner for Lee, given its abundance of natural resources and geographic proximity.

By expanding its footprint in Southeast Asia, South Korea seeks to share its expertise and deepen collaboration in key sectors such as shipbuilding, defense, nuclear energy, and AI. As ASEAN member states continue to hedge amid deepening Sino-U.S. rivalry, the bloc is increasingly looking to strengthen ties with middle powers such as South Korea, its second-largest trading partner. In proposing to host a special ASEAN-South Korea summit in Seoul in 2029 to mark 40 years of diplomatic ties, Lee seeks to deepen his engagement with ASEAN through a more pragmatic Southeast Asia policy than that of his predecessors. 

Yoonki Lee is an MPhil student in International Relations at the University of Oxford. He graduated summa cum laude from Yonsei University with a BA in International Studies.

Philippines-South Korea defense relations

Philippines-South Korea relations

South Korea-ASEAN relations

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