South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has said that his country and Türkiye "are brotherly nations bound by blood, having fought side by side to defend freedom and democracy".
"Türkiye is a strategic partner for Korea and an important hub in the Eurasian region," Lee said, adding that Seoul will continue to uphold and enhance its strategic partnership with Ankara.
His remarks came ahead of Lee's upcoming two-day visit to Türkiye, starting from Monday.
Türkiye holds a "uniquely" strategic position at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East, Eurasia, and Africa, he said, adding: "For Korea, Türkiye is not simply a production site."
"It is a strategic partner with whom we seek to innovate, invest, and compete globally."
The two countries' strengths complement, Lee said, noting that Türkiye has established global leadership in unmanned aerial systems, while Korea excels in advanced platforms such as tanks, artillery and naval vessels.
This presents significant opportunities for cooperation that leverage our respective advantages, he said.
Türkiye-South Korea cooperation
Bilateral cooperation between Türkiye and South Korea in the defence industry has been robust, encompassing joint production, technological collaboration and personnel training exchanges, Lee said.
"A typical example of our strong defence partnership is the Altay Main Battle Tank production programme.”
"With both Korea and Türkiye striving to emerge as leading defence powers, I hope we can continue expanding cooperation in this field through mutual trust," he added.
Expressing his confidence that they can expand the defence partnership into next-generation technologies, integrating unmanned systems with conventional platforms and fostering joint innovation, Lee said he is committed to a "forward-looking collaboration that enhances security, technology, and regional stability".
"We also aim to broaden our range of cooperation" into future-focused industries, including nuclear power, biohealth, digital transformation, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence, the South Korean president said.
Regarding the nuclear sector, talks are underway on the South Korean companies' participation in Türkiye's Sinop Nuclear Power Plant project, Lee said, expressing hope that Seoul can "substantially contribute" to Türkiye's nuclear power development with its "world-class" nuclear technology and expertise in operational safety.
Lee further said that in his view, the most potential areas for enhancing bilateral cooperation are infrastructure and construction, among others.
'Türkiye has become an essential partner'
Through its robust industrial base, skilled workforce, and extensive network of trade agreements, "Türkiye has become an essential partner for Korean companies and an increasingly important hub in their global supply chains", Lee said.
South Korean companies have already made significant contributions to Türkiye's economy in sectors such as automobiles, electronics, construction and materials, he said, adding that firms like Hyundai, Samsung, POSCO, and Hyosung have generated jobs and boosted exports through $4.6 billion in direct investments.
"These investments have translated into tangible results across a wide range of industries and shown that our cooperation delivers real, shared benefits," the South Korean president underscored.
Steps to facilitate Turkish citizens travelling to South Korea
South Korea values enhancing people-to-people exchanges with Türkiye, Lee said, adding that his government "has taken a number of steps" to facilitate Turkish citizens' travel to the country.
"We have streamlined the application process through group submissions, expanded language support to include Turkish, and have also extended the validity of the authorisation to three years.”
"In addition, traveling minors under 17 and seniors over 65 are exempt from the K-ETA requirement," Lee said.
Bilateral trade
On commercial exchanges, Lee said bilateral trade has increased remarkably since a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) took effect in 2013.
"As of last year, bilateral trade had increased by more than 1.5 times compared to 2013," Lee said, adding that the FTA provided "a strong foundation" for expanding economic cooperation.
"At the same time, we fully understand Türkiye's concerns regarding the persistent trade imbalance," he said.
This issue should be viewed in a broader context, Lee underlined, saying that much of his country's export growth to Türkiye comes from capital goods and intermediate inputs that support Turkish manufacturing and industrial development.
As Türkiye has expanded its production and export capacity, its demand for these goods has naturally risen, he stated, adding: "In this sense, our trade patterns also reflect the reality of Türkiye’s ongoing industrialisation, and its growing global competitiveness."
