03.11.2026 12:31
President Erdoğan met with President Lee Jae Myung during his visit to South Korea, which took place after an 8-year gap. Following the talks, 4 agreements were signed. Speaking at the joint press conference, South Korean President Lee said, "We signed a memorandum of cooperation for the nuclear power plant in Türkiye," while President Erdoğan emphasized that the trade target between the two countries is 15 billion dollars in total.
Cooperation between Türkiye and South Korea expanded with new agreements signed during President Erdoğan’s visit to Seoul. The agreements also included a memorandum of understanding on financing the nuclear power project.
4 AGREEMENTS IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LEADERS
At the Presidential Palace in Seoul, Erdoğan and Lee first held a one-on-one meeting, followed by a meeting between delegations. After the talks, four agreements were signed at a ceremony held in the presence of the two leaders.
FINANCING MEMORANDUM FOR NUCLEAR POWER PROJECT
A “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation Concerning the Financing of the Nuclear Power Project” was signed between Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. and the Export-Import Bank of South Korea. The memorandum was signed by Necati Yamaç, General Manager of Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc., and Hwang Ki-yeon, Chairman and General Manager of the Export-Import Bank of South Korea.
2 AGREEMENTS IN ENERGY AND MINING
Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Cooperation in the Field of Energy” with South Korea’s Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-whan. Bayraktar also signed the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Natural Resources and Mining” with South Korea’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-kwan.
COOPERATION IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
The “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Fields of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)” between the Ministry of Industry and Technology and South Korea’s Ministry of Science and Information and Communication Technologies was signed on behalf of the Ministry of Industry and Technology by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and South Korea’s Minister of Science and Information and Communication Technologies Bae Kyung-hoon.
“OUR RELATIONS THAT HAVE TURNED INTO BLOOD BROTHERHOOD”
After the signing ceremony, Erdoğan held a joint press conference with Lee and, referring to the Korean War, said:
“It makes us extremely happy that our relations, which turned into a blood brotherhood 76 years ago through the sacrifices made by the heroic Turkish soldiers for Korea’s independence, continue to follow a distinct course at an exceptional level today.”
Recalling that they hosted Lee in Türkiye in November 2025 and last July, Erdoğan emphasized that mutual visits make an important contribution to the strategic partnership.
$15 BILLION TRADE TARGET
Noting that economic and trade relations were among the prominent topics of the talks, Erdoğan said, “We discussed steps to bring our bilateral trade, which exceeded $11 billion last year, to the $15 billion target we had previously set in a balanced and sustainable manner.”
Erdoğan noted that work is also being carried out to update the free trade agreement in line with current conditions, and said that more than 400 Korean companies operate in Türkiye. Erdoğan stated that steps have also been taken toward joint projects with Korean companies in markets where Türkiye is strong.
NUCLEAR ENERGY AND MINING ON THE AGENDA
Erdoğan, noting that another important topic of the talks was nuclear energy and mining, said that the memorandum of understanding signed in November 2025 between Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. and Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) created an important basis for cooperation. Erdoğan noted that he believes the documents signed today between the energy ministries will also carry this cooperation further.
Emphasizing that they attach great importance to cooperation with Korea in many advanced technology fields, including battery production, artificial intelligence and semiconductors, Erdoğan also touched on the defense industry. Erdoğan said that in his meeting with Lee, they pointed out that the number of joint projects such as the Fırtına howitzer and the Altay tank should be increased.
70TH ANNIVERSARY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Erdoğan, stating that they plan special events next year for the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, said that their views on international issues largely coincide. Expressing that they support a dialogue-based approach aimed at permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, Erdoğan emphasized that they are determined to continue cooperation in multilateral platforms such as the UN, MIKTA and the G20.