South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has described Türkiye and South Korea as “brotherly nations bound by blood,” recalling their shared sacrifices during the Korean War. His remarks came ahead of a two-day official visit to Türkiye scheduled to begin on Monday.
Lee said Türkiye occupies a strategic position connecting Europe, the Middle East, Eurasia and Africa, stressing that Seoul views Ankara not merely as a manufacturing hub but as a long-term partner for global innovation and investment. He reaffirmed South Korea’s intention to strengthen what he called a deepening strategic partnership.
According to the president, both countries possess complementary strengths in the defence sector—Türkiye in unmanned aerial systems and South Korea in advanced military platforms, including tanks, artillery and naval assets. He said this synergy creates significant potential for expanded cooperation.
Lee noted that defence ties between the two countries have grown steadily, supported by joint production projects, technology-sharing initiatives and training exchanges. He cited the Altay Main Battle Tank programme as a key example of successful bilateral collaboration. With both nations striving to enhance their defence capabilities, Lee expressed hope that mutual trust would allow cooperation to extend into next-generation technologies that integrate unmanned and conventional platforms.
Beyond defence, Lee said Seoul aims to broaden cooperation with Türkiye in sectors such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, biohealth, digital transformation and nuclear power. He confirmed that discussions continue on the participation of South Korean companies in the Sinop Nuclear Power Plant project. With South Korea’s record in nuclear safety and technology, he said he hopes his country can make a substantial contribution to Türkiye’s energy development.
Lee added that infrastructure and construction are among the areas with the most promising opportunities for future bilateral collaboration.
