President Rodrigo Duterte left on Sunday night for South Korea to participate in the 30th ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit scheduled on November 25 and 26.

Duterte departed from Davao City airport at around 8:15pm for Busan, the venue of the summit, his former close aide and now Senator Christopher "Bong" Go said.

The President was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr., Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Agriculture Department William Dar, Education Secretary Leonor Briones, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo- Puyat, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, and Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Noe Wong.

In a press briefing last November 19, South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-man said Duterte and South Korean President Moon Jae-in would have a bilateral meeting at the sidelines of the event.

The two leaders are expected to witness the exchange of four memoranda of understanding on social security, education, fisheries, and tourism.

Duterte's visit to South Korea is his second since he assumed office in 2016. Ella Dionisio/DMS