BUSAN, Nov. 1 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung have reaffirmed their countries' deep strategic partnership, agreeing to expand cooperation in defense, infrastructure, and transnational crime prevention.

Marcos and Lee held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju on Friday.

The two leaders reviewed the progress of the Korea-Philippines Strategic Partnership, which celebrated its first anniversary this year, and committed to elevate it to "a new level of cooperation and mutual support."

Lee said it was "particularly meaningful" to welcome Marcos to Korea following their first phone conversation in August and shortly after the anniversary of the st...