A New “Korea Town” Will Rise In Malate, Manila

This is a gamechanger.
by Cristina Morales | November 21, 2019

Hallyu fans rejoice: Manila City will soon have its very own “Korea Town”.

Plans for the proposed Korea Town are already in place, says South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-man. Han had already met with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to ask for support for the the proposed Korea Town. Moreno said he has plans to meet with the Korean Business Association of the Philippines regarding the project.

“In Manila, particularly in Malate area, there are many Korean restaurants and there are many Korean tourists visiting there so we are envisioning to make that area as ‘Korea Town’,” said Han during an event hosted by Presidential Communications Operations Office Global Media Affairs.

Though the South Korean Embassy has not released more information on the Korea Town project, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for legit Korean restaurants and retail stores. Watch this space.

A 70-year-old Friendship

In 2018, the Philippines attracted around 1.6 million Korean tourists, and Han aims to increase this figure to 2 million during his term.

Though there isn’t an established timeline for the proposed Korea Town, the Korean ambassador says it is already in the works.

The Philippines was the very first ASEAN country to establish bilateral relations with South Korea. These relations were established 70 years ago in 1949, after the Philippines recognized the Republic of Korea as a sovereign state.

 

What do you think of Manila’s Korea Town plans?