- South Korea and Brazil strengthen partnership to secure critical mineral supply chains.
- Leaders sign agreements expanding trade, technology, agriculture, and digital economy collaboration.
- Cooperation aims to boost investments, industrial growth, and long-term strategic economic ties.
South Korea and Brazil established an agreement that extends their collaboration on essential minerals for trade during a summit which took place in Seoul on February 23, 2026.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met at the Blue House to discuss broadening economic collaboration across multiple sectors, with both leaders expressing commitment to elevating their bilateral relationship into a strategic partnership.
The main topic of discussion centered on mineral resource cooperation which included rare earth elements and nickel resources that Brazil possesses in abundance because these resources serve as essential materials for battery production and semiconductor manufacturing and renewable energy systems.
South Korean companies find Brazil's extensive mineral resources to be valuable investment opportunities which enable them to obtain dependable mineral resources needed to fulfill their requirements in both electric vehicle production and advanced manufacturing processes.
The two countries established a four-year action plan which they designed to enhance their relationship through cooperation in digital economy, agriculture, health, biotech, and technological innovation fields.
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Trade and industrial cooperation were also high on the agenda. The leaders signed 10 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that established agreements for trade policy and core mineral development and AI and digital technologies and agricultural collaboration and their joint efforts to tackle cybercrime and narcotics.
Both sides emphasized the need to develop trade relations through methods which extend beyond standard commodity trading by creating small-business partnerships and manufacturing alliances.
President Lee explained that improved economic links and better partnership frameworks would lead to greater regional stability and shared economic development.
President Lula explained that Brazil wants to draw more South Korean investments especially for its strategic mineral resources and advanced technology sectors. The summit established a major advancement which strengthened economic and strategic ties between the two largest economies in the world.