Whenever guests from Korea visit the Philippines, I make it a point to take them to Romulo Café, a local establishment named after the eminent Filipino statesman and diplomat Carlos P. Romulo. The place not only offers a taste of Filipino delicacies but also serves as a poignant reminder, in my view, of the ties between Korea and the Philippines. I believe our countries were destined to develop this kind of kinship. Karma – a term frequently emphasized by revered monks in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar, where I once served as Korean Ambassador – has intricately woven a connection between our two nations, bridging our past, present and undoubtedly our future.