MANILA: (Bernama-PNA) The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and South Korea are advancing a proposed maritime security academy for Asean, aimed at enhancing regional cooperation through training and capacity-building, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
In a statement on Wednesday (Sept 9), the PCG said Director-General for Asean and Southeast Asia Affairs of South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kwon Jae-Hwan met with PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L Gavan during a courtesy visit to the PCG National Headquarters on Tuesday (Sept 8).
The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to exchange views on shared interests and explore ways to further strengthen maritime cooperation.
Among the topics discussed was the Korea-Asean Maritime Security Academy (KAMSA), a proposal put forward by the ROK through the Korea Coast Guard, with the PCG as co-proponent.
KAMSA aims to enhance Asean maritime security through training, capacity-building and knowledge exchange.
The PCG had earlier presented the KAMSA proposal during the Asean Coast Guard Forum Technical Experts' Group Meeting and the High-Level Meeting in May and June 2026, where participating agencies expressed their intention to bring the proposal to their respective authorities for consideration.
Gavan welcomed the visit as an opportunity to advance the initiative.
"Director General Kwon, your visit is therefore more than an exchange of courtesies. It is an opportunity to take stock of the progress already made and to discuss how we carry this work forward," Gavan said.
The engagement underscored the longstanding partnership between Manila and Seoul and contributed to efforts to strengthen practical cooperation among Asean maritime law enforcement and Coast Guard agencies. - Bernama-PNA
