President Lee, President Lula to Hold Summit on 23rd to Strengthen Practical Cooperation

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil arrived in South Korea on the 22nd for a three-day state visit at the invitation of President Lee Jae-myung. This is President Lula’s first state visit to South Korea in 21 years, following his first term visit in 2005. He is also the first foreign head of state to be received as a state guest since President Lee returned to the presidential office. President Lula will stay in South Korea until the 24th.
According to the presidential office, the two leaders will hold a summit meeting on the morning of the 23rd. They are expected to discuss a wide range of cooperation issues, including trade and investment, climate and energy, space, defense, science and technology, agriculture, education and culture, and people-to-people exchanges. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony and a state banquet will also be held in conjunction with the summit.
Brazil is a traditional ally that became the first country in Latin America to establish diplomatic relations with South Korea in 1959, and it is South America’s largest partner in trade and investment. The presence of the largest Korean diaspora community in Latin America, with around 50,000 Koreans living there, is also seen as part of the backdrop to this visit.
President Lula’s visit comes at the invitation of President Lee. The two first met last June in Canada during the Group of Seven (G7) summit, and met again in November at the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit in the Republic of South Africa. Despite having met only twice, the two leaders are said to share an emotional bond over having overcome personal hardships.
President Lee suffered an arm injury at age 19 when it was crushed in a press machine, while President Lula lost a finger in a press accident at age 17. The two leaders reportedly empathized over these personal scars and life’s hardships, with their eyes welling up during last year’s G7 summit. After the commemorative photo session, they were also seen with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Ahead of the official summit schedule, the first ladies of the two countries also carried out friendship activities.
On the 21st, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung visited Gwangjang Market with First Lady Rosângela Lula da Silva, who had arrived a day earlier than President Lula, where they greeted each other while choosing Hanbok fabrics and matching garakji rings as a couple set. When Kim remarked, "It suits you so well," Rosângela replied, "Hanbok is so beautiful. South Korea is incredibly popular among young people in Brazil," to which Kim responded, "How about we surprise our presidents?"
The two first ladies then visited the National Folk Museum of Korea in Paju, where they viewed an exhibition on the Brazilian Carnival together and had tea. Kim commented, "The green and pink colors of the flag are so beautiful," and when Rosângela invited her to visit a samba festival, Kim replied, "It is an honor to at least be able to see this exhibition here today." In response to Brazil’s invitation, Kim added that she "would be happy to work out a visit."
west@fnnews.com Seong Seok-woo Reporter