January 20, 2026
SEOUL – South Korea and Italy agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation in high-tech sectors, including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and aerospace, while expanding ties in the defense industry and critical-mineral supply chains.
The two sides also reaffirmed a shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
The agreement came as President Lee Jae Myung met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — the first Italian prime minister to visit South Korea in 19 years — for a summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul.
“At today’s meeting, Prime Minister Meloni and I agreed to further develop bilateral relations to a future-oriented level that befits the designation of a strategic partnership,” Lee said during a press conference following the summit.
Meloni called the trip long overdue, saying it was meant to “fill a gap that has been far too long,” one she said no longer reflected South Korea’s “strategic importance to Italy.”
“Italy and Korea are friendly and allied nations — mature and technologically advanced democracies,” Meloni said, calling that affinity “an extraordinary added value” in a world where uncertainty has become the norm amid rapid geopolitical, industrial and economic change.
The two leaders outlined major pillars for advancing Korea-Italy ties: expanded economic and trade cooperation, deeper collaboration in science and advanced technologies, stronger cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and close coordination in support of global peace and stability.
Lee underscored that bilateral “cooperation in the field of trade will be further expanded to a level commensurate with the economic scale and brand power of the two countries.”
He further explained that cooperation in science — “on which the future of the nation depends” — would be expanded into advanced industries such as AI and aerospace, adding that the two countries would also pursue “complementary cooperation” in the defense industry based on their respective strengths.
High-tech ties, supply chains
A joint press statement was issued after the summit, opening with the two leaders pledging to further strengthen cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels “to proactively contribute to maintaining international peace and security and to address global challenges.”
On the economic front, they reaffirmed their commitment to deepen partnerships in advanced manufacturing and cutting-edge technologies, recognizing both the challenges facing today’s economy and the growing importance of these sectors.
Lee and Meloni stressed the need to step up industrial cooperation in key sectors such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, semiconductors and critical raw materials.
On the sidelines of the summit, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on semiconductor cooperation between the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association and Italy’s Association of Electrical and Electronic Industries.
The memorandum aims to promote business cooperation and information sharing in the semiconductor sector — including advanced areas such as AI — and to strengthen semiconductor supply chains.
In the statement, the leaders notably “concurred on intensifying joint efforts to develop resilient and reliable critical mineral supply chains,” under the memorandum framework and through multilateral initiatives such as the Minerals Security Partnership, currently chaired by South Korea.
Strategic dialogue, shared security
On broader ties, Lee and Meloni said they “shared the will to further strengthen their strategic dialogue as the primary platform for exchanging views and finding synergies on key regional and global developments.”
To that end, the two leaders agreed to convene the next round of the dialogue “as soon as possible” and to draw up a new bilateral action plan for 2026-30 to identify the primary objectives of Korea-Italy cooperation.
Meloni also repeatedly reiterated her expectation that Lee would accept an invitation from President Sergio Mattarella to pay a state visit to Italy this year.
While expressing deep gratitude for the invitation, Lee said during the news conference, “I look forward to visiting Italy in the near future to continue today’s constructive discussions and translate them into tangible results.”
In the same remarks, Lee said he and Meloni agreed to “continue close cooperation to contribute to global peace and stability.”
“Korea and Italy are friendly countries that share values on the international stage and jointly respond to global challenges. Beyond easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, we will work together to uphold the value of peace worldwide,” he told reporters.
Meloni, for her part, noted the growing “links between European security and Indo-Pacific security,” pointing to Russia’s war in Ukraine as a case in point.
The joint statement reaffirmed their “commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific” and a shared view to work closely together to promote regional stability, as well as their “commitment to the complete denuclearization and lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”