President Lee: 'We Should Have Met Italy in the World Cup'

President Lee Jae-myung expressed disappointment on June 12, local time, that South Korea and Italy did not meet in the World Cup finals. During an expanded luncheon meeting at the official residence of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, Lee made the remark after Meloni congratulated the South Korean national soccer team on their first victory in the tournament. He noted, "Italy and Korea share similar sentiments and get along well."

This was the third meeting between Lee and Meloni, and Lee expressed his pleasure at seeing her again, saying, "It has been three days since I arrived in Italy, and it feels very nostalgic."

Lee emphasized the importance of a rules-based international order, stating, "We discussed this last time, and I hope we can work together to advance cooperation in areas like free trade and multilateralism. It seems necessary to establish a new framework for cooperation, making the development of our bilateral relationship even more meaningful."

The two leaders assessed that Korea and Italy are maintaining closer cooperation than ever and agreed to expand the current level of people-to-people exchanges, which stands at about one million annually, to 1.5 million by 2034, the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

During the state visit, the two countries elevated their relationship to a "special strategic partnership" and adopted the "2026-2030 Korea-Italy Strategic Action Plan" to deepen mutual cooperation.

They also signed four memorandums of understanding (MOUs) covering cooperation in science and technology, ICT, social solidarity economy, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Lee stated, "We are in a complementary relationship, and I believe we can create synergy through our cooperation. Recently, we had detailed discussions on defense, artificial satellites, space, and advanced industries, and I think we can do more to support each other."

He added, "There is much we can do to help each other. I hope we can create a Korea that can assist Italy and an Italy that can assist Korea."

Lee expressed gratitude for the swift response of Italian authorities and parliament regarding the impact of Italy's super depreciation system on Korean companies, which he raised during Meloni's visit to Korea in January. He noted that recent measures have alleviated unfavorable conditions for Korean businesses.

He evaluated this action as a proactive example of how high-level consultations between the two countries can prevent negative impacts on businesses, demonstrating the strong will and trust between the two governments.

The two leaders also agreed to continue developing mutually beneficial cooperation based on their strengths through the "Semiconductor Cooperation MOU" and the "Advanced Science and Technology ICT Cooperation MOU" signed during this visit.

Lee expressed hope that the recently concluded "Film Co-Production Agreement" in the cultural and human exchange sector would lead to synergy through the excellent cultural capabilities of both countries.

Additionally, he expressed a desire for enhanced friendly exchanges between the two nations through the launch of Korean audio services at Rome's historic site, the Roman Forum, and the signing of an MOU between the National Museum of Korea and the Uffizi Gallery.

Both leaders agreed on the need for Korea and Italy to pool their wisdom to address geopolitical challenges as responsible members of the international community and to deepen cooperation in responding to global issues.

They also shared the view that closer cooperation is necessary to overcome supply chain crises stemming from recent conflicts in the Middle East and to promote energy security together.

Furthermore, they expressed expectations that the newly signed "Korea-Italy Development Cooperation MOU" would further solidify their partnership in development cooperation projects in Africa.