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Busan Metropolitan City Meets with Philippine Consul General in Busan to Discuss Ways to Expand Friendship, Cooperation and Exchanges

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that Mayor Chun met with Leah Victoria T. Carada, Consul General of the Philippines in Busan, at 3:30 p.m. yesterday, August 20, in the International Protocol Room at City Hall to discuss ways to expand friendship, cooperation and exchanges between Busan and the Philippines.

Leah Victoria T. Carada, the inaugural Consul General of the Philippines in Busan, took office in March and has been carrying out the necessary procedures for establishing the Consulate General in Busan.

The temporary office of the Consulate General is located on the 7th floor of Shindong Building, 267 Jungang-daero, Dong-gu.

Mayor Chun first expressed his gratitude, saying, “The Philippines was the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea and was also the first Asian country to send troops to support Korea during the Korean War.”

ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, consists of 11 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

Mayor Chun continued, “Since Busan and Cebu Province in the Philippines entered into a sister-city agreement in 2011, the efforts of the Philippine government have led to the establishment of a Consulate General in Busan. This is a tangible achievement following the elevation of relations between our two countries to a strategic partnership in 2024. The Consulate General will serve as a hub for cooperation between Busan and the Philippines and provide practical assistance to Filipinos living in Busan, international students, businesspeople, tourists and others.”

Cebu Province, located in the Central Visayas region of the central Philippines, is the country’s second-largest metropolitan administrative area after Manila. It encompasses the main island of Cebu, including the provincial capital Cebu City, Mactan Island and approximately 160 surrounding smaller islands. It is Southeast Asia’s largest tourism and resort destination and a major hub for commerce, the economy, culture, religion and tourism in the central and southern Philippines.

Approximately 2,400 Filipinos currently reside in Busan. They include international students, workers and marriage immigrants who are active in various fields and contribute to the local community. In addition, among the 2.42 million foreign tourists who visited Busan in the first half of this year, 2026, visitors from the Philippines ranked fourth in number after those from Greater China, Japan and the United States.

Mayor Chun also said, “Busan and Cebu Province have continued active exchanges in a wide range of fields, including tourism, culture and people-to-people exchanges, based on our shared strengths in maritime affairs and tourism. In particular, as this year marks the 15th anniversary of the sister-city relationship between Busan and Cebu Province, I hope the opening of the Philippine Consulate General in Busan will further expand cooperation between the two cities and the two countries and lead to tangible outcomes from our exchanges.”

He added, “The Philippines is a major archipelagic country consisting of approximately 7,600 islands, with extensive experience and significant growth potential across the maritime sector. This creates considerable opportunities for mutual cooperation with Busan, a global maritime city, in a variety of areas, including the development of smart ports and the promotion of environmentally friendly maritime industries.”

In response, the Consul General of the Philippines in Busan said, “It is a great honor to serve as the inaugural Consul General in Busan, and we are making every effort to ensure that the Consulate General can officially open as soon as possible. I look forward to further advancing relations between our two countries through cooperation with Busan and the other areas under our jurisdiction.”

The Consulate General’s jurisdiction covers the Gyeongsang region, including Busan, Daegu and Ulsan; the Jeolla region, including Gwangju; and Jeju.

The Consul General continued, “Since March, the Philippine Consulate General in Busan has participated in many events hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, including the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. Once the Consulate General officially opens, we will actively pursue substantive and diverse exchanges and cooperation between Busan and Philippine local governments.”

Concluding the meeting, Mayor Chun said, “I hope today’s meeting will mark the starting point for the Philippine Consulate General in Busan and Busan Metropolitan City to write a new chapter of cooperation together. We will continue to work closely with the Consulate General for shared prosperity, and I hope a senior Philippine leader will participate in the 4th United Nations Ocean Conference to be held in Busan in June 2028.”