February 6, 2026
SEOUL – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will visit South Korea at President Lee Jae Myung’s invitation, as Seoul looks to diversify critical mineral supply chains and shore up resilience amid growing global uncertainty.
Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday that Lee extended an invitation to Lula during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa in November 2025, which the Brazilian leader accepted.
“The two sides are coordinating the schedule for President Lula’s visit to South Korea, and it will be announced once finalized by mutual agreement,” a Cheong Wa Dae official said.
Lula’s visit is widely expected to take place after South Korea’s Lunar New Year holidays, marking his first trip to Seoul — and the first visit by a Brazilian president — since 2010.
Lula’s previous visit to Seoul was to attend the G20 summit in November 2010.
A Brazilian president has made only two state visits to South Korea to date: the first in January 2001 by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and the second in May 2005, when Lula paid a state visit at the invitation of then-President Roh Moo-hyun.
During the upcoming visit by Lula, Seoul and Brasilia are expected to discuss ways to advance a comprehensive cooperative partnership that spans economic cooperation, strategic supply chains and defense ties.
Brazil is South Korea’s largest export market in Latin America and a major source of critical raw materials. These include lithium, which is used in battery cells for electric vehicles, graphite for battery anodes and nickel for high-energy cathodes.
The country also has large reserves of rare earth minerals used in semiconductors and high-performance motors. Additionally, Brazil leads in the production of niobium, which is a strategic metal that strengthens lightweight steel for aerospace and defense systems.
Defense cooperation has gained momentum. Brazil is the largest defense market in Latin America, and in October 2025 the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen defense-industry cooperation, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Lee and Lula have met twice since Lee took office, building personal rapport alongside policy coordination. Lee has publicly expressed affection for the Brazilian leader while seeking to make his trip to Brazil in the future.
The two leaders found common ground during their meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada in June last year, shortly after Lee’s inauguration.
Lee noted that the respective leaders both overcame poverty and political persecution to win national elections — a comparison that resonated with Lula.
When Lee shared an anecdote about injuring his arm in a factory press while working as a teenage laborer, Lula asked how old he had been at the time, showing keen personal interest, according to Cheong Wa Dae.