South Korea and Brazil have declared this year as the 'Year of Strategic Partnership' and agreed to significantly expand cooperation in defense, aerospace, critical minerals, and semiconductor industries.
During a state visit to Brazil, President Lee Jae-myung announced this agreement following a summit with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Palácio da Alvorada in Brasília on July 27.
President Lee stated, "Following President Lula's historic state visit to South Korea in February, I am making my first state visit to Brazil in 11 years as the President of South Korea. We are declaring 2026 as the year of leap for the South Korea-Brazil strategic partnership and have outlined a future vision for our cooperation through this joint statement, following the adoption of a 'four-year action plan' in February." This meeting marks the fifth encounter between the two leaders since President Lee took office.
The two leaders agreed to enhance cooperation in future industries, including trade and investment, centered around the high-level 'Economic and Trade Committee' that was activated prior to the summit.
Based on the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for industrial technology cooperation, they will also pursue technological collaboration in seven areas, including supply chain fundamentals, bio-economy, sustainable fuels, industrial decarbonization, low-carbon materials, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, automotive, shipbuilding, and batteries.
In the critical minerals and energy sectors, both countries will expand cooperation across the entire supply chain, from mineral exploration to development, processing, and utilization. The plan aims to combine Brazil's abundant resources with South Korea's technological and industrial capabilities to ensure a stable supply of raw materials for South Korean companies.
Through the energy cooperation MOU, they will also explore joint projects in clean energy and energy transition, including renewable energy, power grids, smart grids, and energy efficiency.
In the defense sector, the two countries plan to launch a 'Joint Defense Committee' in the second half of this year and pursue an agreement on the protection and exchange of military and defense secret information.
Notably, they view the upcoming integration of South Korean components into the Brazilian-made C-390 transport aircraft, which the South Korean Air Force is set to acquire, as a symbolic achievement of their defense cooperation, and they agreed to expand their collaboration into future aviation mobility.
Earlier, President Lee inspected the Brazilian Embraer C-390 large transport aircraft upon his arrival at Brasília International Airport.
The acquisition of the C-390 by the South Korean military is part of a project to enhance the Air Force's airlift and peacekeeping capabilities, with a total investment of 883 billion won from 2022 to 2028. The government completed the selection of the model and contract in December 2023, with the first aircraft expected to be delivered in December this year and the second and third by the end of next year.
An MOU for space cooperation was also signed. The two countries agreed to streamline and simplify overlapping regulations for launch permits when South Korean private companies use Brazilian launch sites, and to collaborate in lunar exploration, satellite data sharing, and the development of the space industry. The government plans to revise domestic regulations in the second half of this year to reduce administrative costs and waiting times for launches by South Korean companies using Brazilian facilities.
Under the presence of both leaders, five documents were signed covering space, sports, education, energy, and industrial technology, while two separate MOUs on film and cybersecurity cooperation were also established. The sports cooperation MOU, the first of its kind between the two countries, includes exchanges of athletes and coaches, as well as sharing sports policies and experiences.
The education MOU, signed 60 years after the cultural agreement between South Korea and Brazil in 1966, focuses on expanding Korean language education in Brazilian schools and cooperation in technical and vocational education, higher education, and AI and digital education.
The film cooperation MOU, originally signed in 2015, has been updated to expand joint production events, screenings of films from each country, and exchanges of personnel in the film industry. The cybersecurity cooperation MOU aims to create conditions for South Korean security companies to enter the Brazilian and Latin American markets through incident response, joint research, policy exchange, and workforce training.
Both leaders agreed to strengthen strategic cooperation on global issues, including international peace and security, peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, AI, and climate change.
President Lee explained, "Our government's philosophy is that creating peace, which eliminates the need for conflict, is the most certain and robust form of security, and President Lula deeply resonated with this idea."
The Brazilian side expressed firm support for the South Korean government's efforts toward denuclearization and the establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The two leaders also acknowledged the necessity of the South Korea-Mercosur trade agreement. President Lee emphasized, "In an era of increasing uncertainty in the trade environment, the South Korea-Mercosur trade agreement is an urgent and important task that cannot be delayed. It will provide opportunities for South Korean companies to enter the South American market and for Brazilian companies to access the Asian market through South Korea."
The South Korea-Mercosur trade agreement refers to a comprehensive trade agreement pursued by South Korea and four South American countries: Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Although officially termed a 'trade agreement' (TA) rather than a free trade agreement (FTA), it encompasses not only product tariffs but also services, investment, e-commerce, government procurement, and intellectual property, making it structurally similar to an FTA.
President Lee quoted, 'A união faz a força' (together we are stronger), stating that if the two countries connect their strengths, the distance across the Pacific will no longer be a limitation but a space of possibilities for creating new opportunities.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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