South Korea and the Philippines, each faced by increasingly hostile rival nations, have elevated their ties to a strategic partnership, including broader defense and security cooperation between the two U.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr agreed on Monday to boost defence cooperation as their countries elevated ties to a strategic partnership amid growing security challenges in the region.

The Philippines and South Korea committed Monday to deepening maritime cooperation, their presidents said, in the face of China's assertion of its claims over the South China Sea.China has for years sought to expand its presence in contested areas of the South China Sea,