President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to the Philippines, prepared an Air Force pilot flight jacket and a gold turtle ship model as commemorative gifts for a dinner with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. and First Lady on March 3 (local time).
The Presidential Office said in a briefing that the Air Force pilot flight jacket was chosen considering President Marcos's preferences, as he is a fan of the movie "Top Gun" and dreamed of becoming a pilot as a child. The jacket features patches with both countries' national flags on the left chest and the number "3377" on the sleeve. The number "3377" symbolizes the two leaders' meeting on March 3, the 77th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines. The Presidential Office said it hopes for expanded exchange and cooperation between the two nations.
A gold turtle ship model was also prepared as a gift. The Presidential Office described it as "a work created by casting a turtle ship model, then hand-finishing the fine details and plating it with pure gold," adding that "through the turtle ship, which symbolizes the history and technological prowess of Korea's world-leading shipbuilding industry, we hope for strengthened defense cooperation between the two countries."
For First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos, gifts include a red-gold floral norigae ornament harmoniously decorated with jade, amber, and coral, along with a Korean cosmetics set. The Presidential Office explained that the circular jade on the silk thread norigae symbolizes the depth of nature, while the "hee (joy)" carving and butterfly represent vitality and hope. It added, "Through basic skincare products from Korea's representative cosmetics brands, we aimed to promote both the excellence of K-Beauty and Korea's traditional aesthetics through the moon jar-shaped containers."
