South Korea and Turkey emphasized the expansion of cooperation in the fields of nuclear energy and defense during a meeting hosted by Lee Jae-myung, the President of South Korea. The meeting took place on Tuesday, where Erdoğan spoke about Turkey's major plans and projects in the field of nuclear energy.
Expansion of Trade Cooperation
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who visited South Korea for the first time since 2018, announced that he and Lee agreed to increase the volume of bilateral trade from $11 billion to $15 billion. Additionally, the two sides discussed updating the free trade agreement between the two countries.
Read more: Sultanate of Oman and Darussalam Brunei: Four Decades of Friendship with a Historic Royal Visit
Turkey is planning to build four nuclear reactors in the Sinop province and four more in the Thrace region, and South Korea is competing to secure contracts for these projects. These projects are considered a crucial part of Turkey's plans to increase nuclear energy production and reduce dependence on imported energy.
Sinop Project and Nuclear Cooperation
Lee Jae-myung stated that cooperation in the construction of nuclear reactors in Sinop is progressing well. Erdoğan, in an interview with a South Korean news agency, mentioned that South Korea could be considered a development partner for the Sinop project. In 2025, during Lee's visit to Ankara, Turkey's nuclear energy company TUNAS and a South Korean electricity company signed a cooperation agreement in the field of nuclear energy.
During the welcoming ceremony for Erdoğan on Tuesday, a South Korean military unit performed a taekwondo martial arts demonstration. About 80 officials and executives, including the chairman of the Hyundai Group, Euisun Chung, and the CEO of Hyundai Rotem, Lee Yang-bae, will attend the dinner following this meeting.
Hyundai has had a car manufacturing plant in Turkey since 1997, with an annual production capacity of about 200,000 vehicles. Additionally, Hyundai Rotem has manufactured most of Turkey's trams since 2008 and is seeking more orders for the country's rail projects.
Lee also announced that Turkey reaffirmed its support for South Korea's policies regarding North Korea, and the two presidents agreed on the necessity of strategic coordination to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Read more: Signing of Several Documents by the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam · Turkey and South Korea Seeking Cooperation in the Sinop Nuclear Project
