MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte will visit South Korea for the first time on June 3 to 5, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday, as the two countries prepare to mark seven decades of diplomatic ties.

DFA Undersecretary Ernesto Abella said the highlight of the President’s official visit will be his meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who invited the Filipino leader to Seoul at the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila last Nov. 2017.

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“The significance of this visit refers back to basically conveying to the Republic of Korea the importance of its partnership with the Philippines and to reaffirm the strength of Philippines-Republic of Korea relations,” Abella said in a Palace press briefing.

Abella said Duterte’s visit to South Korea will see the signing of agreements on cooperation on transportation, science and technology, and trade. A loan agreement for the new Cebu International Container Port will also be struck.

The Philippines will also discuss a possible cooperation on agriculture and environment. Abella said the Philippines is seeking to have access to the South Korean market for tropical fruits and vegetables such as avocado and okra.

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The President will also meet with members of the Filipino community. There are about 68,000 Filipinos currently living in South Korea, Abella said.

Aside from discussing enhancing bilateral relations between the Philippines and South Korea, Duterte and Moon will also tackle the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City.

Abella said there is no guarantee yet if Duterte and Moon will discuss the issue involving North Korea, but he noted the Philippines welcomes the recent dialogue between the South Korean president and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

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Also on the agenda of the two leaders is the establishment of measures to ensure the protection of Korean and Filipino tourists and expatriates in both countries.

Abella said the Philippines welcomed 1.6 million South Korean tourists in 2017 while there were 450,000 Filipino tourists in South Korea in 2017.

The Philippines and South Korea will mark 70 years of diplomatic relations on March 3, 2019.

The last Filipino leader to visit South Korea was Benigno Aquino III. He made a state visit to South Korea in October 2013 to meet then Korean leader Park Geun-Hye.