Erdogan, South Korea’s Lee discuss ties and global challenges

Türkiye and South Korea look set to deepen their bilateral ties. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung discussed regional and global issues in a phone call on Thursday, according to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate.

Erdogan congratulated Lee on his recent election victory and said he hoped to take new steps to strengthen the strategic partnership between both countries. He also invited the South Korean leader to visit Türkiye.

The Turkish president highlighted potential cooperation in areas such as nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, green energy, and the defence industry.

President Lee, in his first public remarks about the call, said he was pleased to speak with Erdogan and recalled the historic bond between the two countries, rooted in Türkiye’s contribution during the Korean War.

“Türkiye has been a brother nation to us ever since it supported us during the Korean War as the fourth-largest troop-contributing country,” Lee said.

Out of the 721 Turkish soldiers killed in the Korean War, 462 are buried in the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Busan. The site is regularly visited by Koreans honouring their memory.

Lee said the two presidents reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening cooperation.

“We agreed to work closely together to advance our friendship in areas of mutual interest,” he posted on X, naming defence, nuclear energy, and green technology as key fields.

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