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The Palace on Saturday said the appointment of Sung Kim as the United States Ambassador to the Philippines as significant development between the relationship between America and the Philippines .

Being of Korean descent, Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Kim could foster better understanding between that two nations.

"I'm sure it's some form of signal they want to be on a better cultural footing," Abella said in an interview over government radio.

"So they (US) probably want to better understand us, that we were able to relate on better cultural terms," he added.

The Korean-born diplomat replaces US Ambassador to the Philip Goldberg. He was sworn in by Secretary of State John Kerry in Washington .

The relationship between the two countries has turned frosty since Duterte began his tirades against the US for questioning his anti-drug campaign which has resulted in at least 4,000 dead.

Duterte has also announced war games with the US will end and ordered a review of an agreement which allows US military forces access to selected Philippine bases.

Goldberg, particularly, has been the subject of Duterte's wrath where he lambasted the diplomat for the latter's comments on his controversial joke about an Australian rape victim during the campaign period. Emmanuel Tupas/DMS