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  • President Lee Jae-myung to Meet Vietnam Leader To Lam to Discuss AI, Energy Cooperation
    President Lee Jae-myung to Meet Vietnam Leader To Lam to Discuss AI, Energy Cooperation President Lee Jae-myung is set to hold a summit on April 22 (local time) with Vietnam’s To Lam, the Communist Party general secretary and state president. The leaders are expected to discuss practical cooperation across areas including nuclear power, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and energy. Lee will meet To in Hanoi in the afternoon. An official welcome ceremony is scheduled beforehand at the main garden of the presidential palace in Hanoi. The schedule includes a small-group meeting, expanded talks, an exchange of memorandums of understanding and a joint press statement. A state banquet is planned after the summit. It will be Lee’s first meeting with To since August last year, about eight months ago. To also began serving concurrently as Vietnam’s state president in April. South Korea upgraded ties with Vietnam, its third-largest trading partner, from a “strategic cooperative partnership” to a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in 2022, marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Following To’s state visit to South Korea in August last year, the two countries agreed to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership. They also agreed to raise bilateral trade from the current $94.6 billion to $150 billion (about 222 trillion won) by 2030. During Lee’s visit, the two leaders are expected to discuss more specific steps to deepen ties, including expanded cooperation in nuclear power and infrastructure. The South Korean government is expected to convey its willingness for mutually beneficial cooperation on major national infrastructure projects in Vietnam, including the Southeast New City development and the new Tra Vinh airport. It also expects that expanding South Korean pharmaceuticals’ access to Vietnam’s import market could boost exports by about 100 billion won a year. With global uncertainty rising due to the Middle East war and other factors, the two sides are also expected to pursue a mutually beneficial partnership to strengthen energy security and stabilize supply chains for critical minerals. Vietnam’s role as a hub for the Korean Wave in ASEAN is also expected to grow, supported by the popularity of K-culture in the country. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-22 08:54:16
  • Lee heads to Hanoi after wrapping up visit to India
    Lee heads to Hanoi after wrapping up visit to India SEOUL, April 21 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is heading to Hanoi on Tuesday, after wrapping up his trip to India earlier in the week. Lee is scheduled to hold talks on Wednesday with Vietnamese President Tô Lâm, who also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party. Lee's trip is a reciprocal visit, coming about eight months after Lâm visited Seoul in August last year. As the first leg of his itinerary in Viet Nam, Lee will meet with South Koreans living there. He will then visit Vietnamese revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum to lay a wreath before having a summit with Lâm later in the day, followed by a joint press statement and a state banquet. Lee will also meet with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and have lunch with National Assembly chairman Tran Thanh Man the following day, before attending a forum with business leaders from both countries to discuss ways to expand trade and investment. Before returning home on Friday, Lee will tour the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. 2026-04-21 15:07:53
  • President Lee Jae-myung Heads to Vietnam After India Trip, Eyes High-Tech Cooperation
    President Lee Jae-myung Heads to Vietnam After India Trip, Eyes High-Tech Cooperation President Lee Jae-myung will leave India on April 21 after wrapping up a two-night, three-day trip and travel to Hanoi, Vietnam. The visit will be the first state event hosted by Vietnam’s new leadership, which took office earlier this month. It will also be a return visit, coming eight months after Communist Party General Secretary To Lam visited South Korea in August last year. After arriving in Hanoi, Lee will begin his schedule on April 22 with a meeting with members of the Korean community. He will lay flowers at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and attend an official welcome ceremony with Vietnam’s leadership. Lee will then hold a summit with To Lam, followed by an exchange of memorandums of understanding, a joint press statement and a state banquet. On April 23, he is to meet with Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and have lunch with National Assembly Speaker Tran Thanh Man. Lee will also attend a Korea-Vietnam business forum to meet with business leaders from both countries and discuss ways to expand trade and investment. On April 24, he is to tour the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel with To Lam before returning home. Separately, Lee posted on Facebook on April 21 under the title, “Korea and India, walking together toward a better future,” reflecting on his India trip. “This summit was a place to discuss concrete and practical measures to take Korea-India cooperation to the next level,” Lee wrote. “We agreed to deepen cooperation in strategic core areas such as shipbuilding, finance, AI and the defense industry, and to create new growth opportunities together based on advanced technology and innovation.” He added, “Above all, I extend my deep gratitude for the warm welcome shown by Prime Minister Modi and the people of India,” and said he hoped to meet again in South Korea in the near future.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-04-21 12:34:01
  • Korea and India to elevate ties to entirely new level
    Korea and India to elevate ties to "entirely new level" SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Seoul and India are entering “an entirely new level” in bilateral ties, positioning each other as “the most critical strategic partners” as global supply chains fracture under prolonged geopolitical shocks stemming from the Middle East conflict. Speaking at a dinner meeting with the Korean community in New Delhi Sunday, Lee framed his state visit as a turning point in bilateral ties, signaling a shift toward deeper cooperation in supply chains, energy security and advanced manufacturing. “With supply chain instability and global economic crises becoming structural amid the fallout of the Middle East war, Korea and India are in a position to become indispensable partners to one another,” Lee said. He expressed confidence that his summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi would elevate the relationship “to an entirely new level,” underscoring India’s emergence not merely as a consumer market but as a central node in global production and supply networks. Lee highlighted structural parallels between the two economies, noting that both rely heavily on imported raw materials and energy — a shared vulnerability that opens space for strategic cooperation in securing stable supply chains. The visit marks the first state trip by a South Korean leader to India in eight years and is widely seen as part of Seoul’s broader push to deepen engagement with the Global South while recalibrating its economic and security posture. Lee also struck a symbolic note, referencing Korean novelist Choi In-hoon’s “The Square,” drawing parallels between the Korean Peninsula’s division and the diasporic Korean experience in India. He praised the local Korean community as a model for peaceful coexistence and future reunification. Earlier in the day, Lee met Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who emphasized the need to turn global instability into an opportunity to further solidify bilateral ties. Accompanying the president is a large business delegation of around 200 executives, including top conglomerate leaders such as Lee Jae-yong, Chung Eui-sun and Koo Kwang-mo, signaling the strong commercial focus of the trip. The delegation is expected to participate in business forums and sign memorandums of understanding aimed at expanding cooperation in semiconductors, green energy, infrastructure and defense manufacturing. Following his India leg, Lee will travel to Vietnam, where South Korean firms have built extensive manufacturing bases, making it Seoul’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States. The twin visits reflect South Korea’s strategic intent to diversify economic partnerships and reduce exposure to geopolitical chokepoints, particularly as energy and logistics disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz continue to ripple through global markets. 2026-04-20 07:26:55
  • South Korea secures additional crude oil, naphtha through alternative routes
    South Korea secures additional crude oil, naphtha through alternative routes SEOUL, April 15 (AJP) - South Korea has secured 273 million barrels of crude oil by the end of this year, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said on Wednesday. At a press briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Kang, who just returned from a weeklong trip to Kazakhstan, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, said the country has reached a deal to secure additional crude oil, including up to 2.1 million tons of naphtha, by the end of this year. "Compared to consumption levels last year, the 273 million barrels of crude oil are sufficient to sustain more than three months without any additional emergency measures, and 2.1 million tons of naphtha are equivalent to about one month's supply," Kang said. "The procurement of additional crude oil and naphtha will be imported through alternative routes that would not be affected by whether the Strait of Hormuz is closed or reopened," he said, adding, "We expect this to help stabilize domestic supply and prevent supply disruptions." He also revealed that there were discussions about a plan to establish oil storage facilities outside the strait, a critical chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, to ensure a more secure supply chain. 2026-04-15 15:26:35
  • South Korea, Poland agree to further deepen ties beyond defense cooperation
    South Korea, Poland agree to further deepen ties beyond defense cooperation SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - South Korea and Poland on Monday agreed to upgrade their bilateral relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" and pledged to expand cooperation in the defense industry and other areas. "South Korea has global competitiveness across a range of industries, while Poland is strong in basic science and technology and has geographic advantages and a skilled workforce. If these strengths are combined in a mutually beneficial way, a new horizon for bilateral cooperation will open," Lee said during a meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Monday. Lee then said the two countries' defense ties have deepened enough to sign a massive deal worth US$44.2 billion in 2022. Citing South Korea's homegrown weapons such as K2 battle tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft, and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers, Lee said they are helping protect Poland's territory and people. But he said, "Defense cooperation between the two countries does not mean simple purchase deals of weapons," adding that the two leaders vowed to broaden cooperation beyond defense to include exchanges in various sectors including advanced industries, science and technology, space, energy, and infrastructure. Economic and industrial cooperation is already expanding, with South Korean battery companies operating in Poland now pursuing entry into the energy storage system market as they diversify their businesses there. The two sides also agreed to expand joint research, exchanges and government-level support in areas including hydrogen, nanomaterials and space, as well as major infrastructure projects such as a new airport link and the replacement of Warsaw's tram system. Lee and Tusk also affirmed their resolve to work together for global peace and prosperity, addressing that security on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe is closely linked, and agreed to continue cooperation to cope with supply chain disruptions caused by the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Monday's meeting marks the first visit by a Polish leader to South Korea in 27 years and Tusk's first trip to a non-European country since taking office in December 2023. Lee said Tusk's visit is a "new milestone" in bilateral ties since South Korea and Poland established diplomatic relations in 1989. After the summit, Lee and Tusk attended a luncheon that also included key business leaders from the defense sector, such as Lee Yong-bae, CEO of Hyundai Rotem; Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems; and Kim Jong-chul, CEO of Korea Aerospace Industries. 2026-04-13 15:01:49
  • Lee set to hold first summit in decades with Polish leader to boost defense cooperation
    Lee set to hold first summit in decades with Polish leader to boost defense cooperation SEOUL, April 13 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is set to hold talks with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday. The first meeting between the two leaders also marks the first visit by a Polish leader in 27 years and Tusk's first trip to a non-European country since taking office in December 2023. Tusk, who arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a two-day visit at Lee's invitation, is scheduled to hold talks with Lee, followed by expanded discussions with key officials, a joint press statement, and an official luncheon. During the meeting, the two leaders are expected to discuss their strategic partnership across a range of areas including growing cooperation in the defense industry. In December last year, the two countries signed an additional contract worth 5.6 trillion Korean won (about US$3.73 billion) for Chunmoo, South Korea's homegrown multiple rocket launch system (MLRS) developed by Hanwha Aerospace. Lee and Tusk are also expected to address pressing global challenges including the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, given Poland's role as a key member of both the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). 2026-04-13 09:05:01
  • Lee to meet Polish PM in Seoul next week
    Lee to meet Polish PM in Seoul next week SEOUL, April 10 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung will hold a meeting with Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk next week, Cheong Wa Dae said on Friday. In a written press briefing, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Tusk is scheduled to arrive in Seoul on Sunday for talks with Lee. It will be the first visit by a Polish leader in 27 years and Tusk's first trip to a non-European country since taking office in December 2023. Lee and Tusk will sit down for talks on Monday, followed by an official luncheon. The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, while highlighting bilateral cooperation in addressing global challenges including the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. Poland, a key member state of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is one of central Europe's major economies and a strategic gateway to the European market. Thanks to its strategic geopolitical location between western and eastern Europe, Poland has emerged as a key production and investment hub, while also expanding its presence in future-oriented industries. South Korea and Poland have strengthened cooperation in the defense sector in recent years. With growing economic and trade relations between the two countries, about 400 South Korean companies operate in Poland, mainly in batteries and auto parts for electric vehicles, while people-to-people exchanges reach about 100,000 per year. Kang said Tusk's visit is expected to help advance bilateral relations, which have steadily developed since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1989, toward a more future-oriented and strategic partnership. 2026-04-10 10:57:02
  • Lee set to hold talks with former Japanese PM in Seoul
    Lee set to hold talks with former Japanese PM in Seoul SEOUL, April 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung is set to have lunch with former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Seoul on Wednesday. According to Cheong Wa Dae, the two leaders are expected to exchange views and discuss various topics including bilateral relations between the neighboring countries, as well as global issues amid the prolonged Middle East crisis. Ishiba, who arrived in Seoul the previous day to attend a forum at Grand Hyatt Seoul hosted by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, delivered a keynote speech earlier in the day. Lee held three summits with Ishiba while he was in office. They first met on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Canada in June last year, followed by talks in Tokyo in August and Busan in September. 2026-04-08 10:44:12
  • Lee congratulates Thai PM on reelection
    Lee congratulates Thai PM on reelection SEOUL, April 8 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung spoke by phone with Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday to congratulate him on his reelection, Cheong Wa Dae said on Wednesday. The call, which was made the previous day, came after Anutin, who led the conservative Bhumjaithai Party to a landslide victory in Thailand's general election last February, was reelected as the country's prime minister on March 19. He became the first Thai prime minister to win a second term in 20 years, since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Anutin first took the post in September 2025. During their conversation, Lee said he expects that the two countries will work closely while expanding cooperation as uncertainty persists in global energy supply chains. He also pledged South Korea would remain a reliable partner for Thailand to pursue shared prosperity. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Lee also said he hoped Thailand would remain stable and achieve its economic goals under Anutin's "outstanding leadership." Earlier in the day, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing that Lee and Anutin agreed to work together to reach an early agreement on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), a broad free trade pact that seeks to address trade issues beyond conventional tariff cuts. 2026-04-08 09:20:27