The UP Asian Center and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines will hold the onsite forum, "Republic of Korea-ASEAN Connectivity Forum: Advancing Regional Cooperation under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship" on 20 November 2025, 9 AM to 12 PM (GMT+8), at the Ascott BGC, Taguig City, Metro Manila. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees are required to register online and wait for CONFIRMATION OF SLOT.
ABOUT THE FORUM
As the Philippines assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, strengthening the strategy partnership between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea emerges as a crucial priority. This comes in the context of a rapidly transforming regional landscape and increasing global challenges, where enhanced cooperation serves as a foundation for sustainable growth and regional resilience. The upcoming ASEAN Chairmanship presents an opportune moment to consolidate this partnership, anchored by the recently announced Comprehensive Partnership Strategy (CPS) and aligned with ASEAN’s visionary frameworks, particularly the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan (ACSP) adopted at the 46th ASEAN Summit.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Panel 1: Key Priorities of the Philippines' Chairmanship in 2026
JOSE SANTIAGO F. OLAGUERA
Acting Director - Division 3: ASEAN Economic Community, Office of ASEAN Affairs, DFA
Jose Santiago F. Olaguera currently serves as Acting Director for the ASEAN-Economic Community (AEC) Division under the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) of the Philippines. He is a career diplomat and Foreign Service Officer confirmed in 2015. Over the years, Olaguera has gained experience in multilateral and regional engagement for the country through his work with the office handling ASEAN affairs. In 2025, he was tapped to lead AEC-related initiatives, helping steer Philippine participation in ASEAN economic cooperation and regional economic integration.
REACTORS:
PARK MIN JOUNG
Research Professor, Korean Diplomatic Academy
FRANCIS QUIMBA, Ph.D.
Senior Research Fellow, Philippine Institute for Development Studies
MARIAN GONGORA
Faculty, Far Eastern University (FEU)
Panel 2: ROK - ASEAN Connectivity Cooperation
HA DAE GOOG
Director, ASEAN Cooperation Division, ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ha Daegoog is the Director of the ASEAN Cooperation Division within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Korea. He previously served as a Counsellor at the ROK Embassy in Myanmar from 2022 to 2025, following a tenure at the ROK Embassy in Singapore. Mr. Ha holds an impressive academic background, including a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Diplomatic Academy of Spain, an LL.M. from Penn Law, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Korea Development Institute.
REACTORS:
MARK SALVADOR O. YSLA
Faculty, Far Eastern University (FEU)
LEE CHOONG LYOL, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, Korea University
LOOI TECK KHEONG
Principal Consultant (ASEAN) Public Policy, Asia Advisors
Panel 3: Maritime Connectivity
MARCO ANGELO FELIX L. LOPEZ
Director of Ocean Governance, Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs
Marco Angelo Felix L. Lopez is a career diplomat who currently serves as Acting Director of the Maritime and Ocean Affairs Office — Division II (Ocean Governance, Shipping and Seafaring) at the DFA. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in International Maritime Law from the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (Class of 2017), where his dissertation focused on legal remedies in national courts to enforce the South China Sea arbitration ruling. Previously, he also served as Vice Consul at the Philippine Consulate General in Houston, Texas.
REACTORS:
LEE SEOHEE, Ph.D.
Senior Researcher, Global Strategy Research Department, Ocean Security and Strategy Research Division
RHODORA AZANZA, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Marine Science Institute, UP Diliman
DANDY RAFITRANDI
Researcher, Department of Economics, CSIS Indonesia
ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS
This forum is organized by the UP Asian Center and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines.