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Türkiye and South Korea signed four cooperation agreements in Seoul covering nuclear power financing, energy, mining, science and technology, as the two countries moved to deepen their strategic partnership.
The agreements were signed at the Presidential Palace after one-on-one and delegation-level talks, in the presence of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.
One of the agreements focused on cooperation in financing nuclear power projects and was signed between Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. and the Export-Import Bank of Korea by General Manager Necati Yamac and bank Chairman and President Hwang Ki-yeon.
Türkiye's Energy and Natural Resources Ministry and South Korea's Climate, Energy and Environment Ministry also signed a memorandum to strengthen energy cooperation. Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and South Korean Minister Kim Sung-whan signed the document.
A separate memorandum on natural resources and mining was signed by Bayraktar and South Korean Trade, Industry and Resources Minister Kim Jung-Kwan.
The fourth agreement covered cooperation in science, technology and innovation between Türkiye's Industry and Technology Ministry and South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan signed on behalf of Türkiye, alongside South Korean Minister Bae Kyung-hoon.
Speaking at a joint news conference after the talks, Erdogan described South Korea as a strategic partner and close friend and said high-level visits continued to strengthen bilateral ties.
He said nuclear energy and mining were among the main topics discussed, pointing to a memorandum signed in November 2025 between Türkiye Nuclear Energy Inc. and Korea Electric Power Corp. as an important foundation for cooperation.
Erdogan said the agreements signed between the two countries' energy ministries would further advance those ties.
He also highlighted cooperation in advanced technologies, including battery production, artificial intelligence and semiconductors.
Defense cooperation was another focus, with Erdogan saying he and Lee discussed increasing the number of joint projects following cooperation on the Firtina howitzer and Altay tank.
Erdogan said economic and trade relations were a priority during the talks, with both sides discussing steps to raise bilateral trade from more than $11 billion last year to their previously set target of $15 billion in a balanced and sustainable way.
He said officials would also focus on updating the bilateral free trade agreement in line with current conditions.
More than 400 South Korean companies operate in Türkiye, Erdogan said, adding that the two countries were also pursuing joint projects in markets where Türkiye has a strong presence.
Erdogan said the historical friendship between Türkiye and South Korea was rooted in the Korean War and noted that next year will mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He added that Türkiye supports a dialogue-based approach aimed at lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and said Ankara and Seoul were determined to deepen cooperation in multilateral platforms including the U.N., MIKTA and G20.
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