Lula welcomes South Korean president with special ceremony amid cooperation talks

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva welcomed his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae-myung, with a special ceremony at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia. The visit is part of Jae-myung's South American tour, which also includes Chile and Argentina.

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expand cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and energy transition.

Escorted by a historical regiment of Brazilian presidential soldiers, Jae-myung arrived for discussions with Lula. The presidents and their wives, Kim Hea-kyung and Rosângela 'Janja' da Silva, then entered the presidential residence for private meetings. These meetings are expected to conclude with the signing of bilateral cooperation agreements.

Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the presidents aim to "expand cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, and energy transition." The ministry also noted that the visit will explore opportunities to increase bilateral trade, focusing on productive integration, diversifying export products, and improving Brazilian agricultural access to the South Korean market.

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In the economic and commercial sphere, the visit will allow for addressing the potential for expansion of bilateral trade, emphasizing productive integration, diversification of the product basket, and increased access for Brazilian agricultural products to the South Korean market.

This visit follows Lula's state trip to Seoul in February, where relations between Brazil and South Korea were elevated to a "Strategic Partnership" with an agreed Action Plan for 2026-2029. Official figures show South Korea as one of Brazil's top 20 foreign investors and its fourth-largest trading partner in Asia. Bilateral trade reached $10.8 billion in the previous period. Jae-myung's agenda in Brasilia includes a luncheon and cultural presentations at the Itamaraty Palace.

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elevated their relations to the level of 'Strategic Partnership' and adopted the 2026-2029 Action Plan.