By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
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In partnership with the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) in Manila, the Philippine Embassy in Korea held the Magsaysay Laureate Reunion and Legacy Exchange event in honor of the Korean recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul on April 22, 2025.
The event, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Korea and the RMAF, was part of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and South Korea last year.
Ambassador of the Philippines to Korea Maria Theresa B. Dizon-De Vega said, “The Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely known as the Nobel Prize of Asia, honors those who have dedicated themselves to the public good.”
She also said, “South Korea and the Philippines fought together for democracy in the Korean War, and through the Magsaysay Award, we can build a new future together,” she said.
Former Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Delia Domingo Albert, who attended the event as a trustee of the foundation, said, “Women's rights are still in need of improvement around the world, and it would be beneficial to learn from the Korean example of courageous women leaders.”
The prize was established in honor of former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, who died in a plane crash in 1957, and has been awarded annually since the following year. From 1958 to 2024, a total of 353 individuals have been honored with the prize, including Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa.
Among the prize winners, there are 20 South Koreans. Korean recipients include the late Jang Jun-ha, a democracy activist, and Kim Jong-ki, founder and honorary chairman of the Blue Tree Foundation.
In particular, the foundation has focused on Korean women leaders. It has awarded the prize to Korean women three times in the 1960s and 1980s alone, when women were restricted from entering the workforce.
The ceremony was attended by Jang Ho-gwon, the son and chairperson of the Jang Jun-ha Memorial Foundation; Kim Im-soon, 1989 Ramon Magsaysay awardee; Ms. Song Woo-jung, daughter and CEO of Keojedo Aekwangwon; Kim Jong-ki, honorary chairman of the Blue Tree Foundation and the 2019 awardee; and Venerable Pomnyun.
