SEOUL, July 30 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Chile on Wednesday for the second leg of his South American tour, after concluding his state visit to Brazil.
Lee is expected to push to upgrade a decades-old free trade agreement with Chile, Seoul's first FTA partner, and expand cooperation on critical minerals supply chains and infrastructure.
Upon arrival at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Lee was greeted by Chilean officials including Foreign Minister Pérez Makenna and Ambassador to South Korea Matías Francke. South Korea's Ambassador to Chile Kim Hak-jae also welcomed him.
Lee will begin his official visit with a dinner meeting with South Korean nationals living in Chile, where he is expected to encourage them and hear their concerns.
After laying a wreath at a statue of Chilean independence hero Bernardo O'Higgins the following day, Lee is scheduled to attend a welcoming ceremony at La Moneda Palace, Chile's presidential residence, before holding a summit with Chilean President José Antonio Kast.
Upgrading the bilateral FTA is expected to be a key focus of their talks. In 2018, the two countries launched negotiations to improve the pact, South Korea's first such deal which took effect in April 2004, and since then held nine rounds of formal talks through April 2024.
South Korea is seeking to expand the pact to reflect changes in the global economy, covering areas such as digital trade, supply chains, energy and minerals, intellectual property, and labor and environmental issues.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss cooperation on critical mineral supply chains, combining Chile's copper and lithium resources with South Korea's battery and advanced manufacturing expertise.
They will also discuss cooperation on the upcoming U.N. Ocean Conference, a triennial summit on sustainable development that the two countries will co-host in 2028, with South Korea holding the main plenary session and Chile organizing preliminary high-level events in 2027.
After the summit with Kast, Lee will attend a business roundtable with industry leaders from both countries to discuss ways to expand trade and investment.
Lee is expected to push to upgrade a decades-old free trade agreement with Chile, Seoul's first FTA partner, and expand cooperation on critical minerals supply chains and infrastructure.
Upon arrival at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago, Lee was greeted by Chilean officials including Foreign Minister Pérez Makenna and Ambassador to South Korea Matías Francke. South Korea's Ambassador to Chile Kim Hak-jae also welcomed him.
Lee will begin his official visit with a dinner meeting with South Korean nationals living in Chile, where he is expected to encourage them and hear their concerns.
After laying a wreath at a statue of Chilean independence hero Bernardo O'Higgins the following day, Lee is scheduled to attend a welcoming ceremony at La Moneda Palace, Chile's presidential residence, before holding a summit with Chilean President José Antonio Kast.
Upgrading the bilateral FTA is expected to be a key focus of their talks. In 2018, the two countries launched negotiations to improve the pact, South Korea's first such deal which took effect in April 2004, and since then held nine rounds of formal talks through April 2024.
South Korea is seeking to expand the pact to reflect changes in the global economy, covering areas such as digital trade, supply chains, energy and minerals, intellectual property, and labor and environmental issues.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss cooperation on critical mineral supply chains, combining Chile's copper and lithium resources with South Korea's battery and advanced manufacturing expertise.
They will also discuss cooperation on the upcoming U.N. Ocean Conference, a triennial summit on sustainable development that the two countries will co-host in 2028, with South Korea holding the main plenary session and Chile organizing preliminary high-level events in 2027.
After the summit with Kast, Lee will attend a business roundtable with industry leaders from both countries to discuss ways to expand trade and investment.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.
