South Korea and Turkey Agree to Expand Nuclear and Defense Ties

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a summit in South Korea on Tuesday, agreeing to expand bilateral cooperation in nuclear energy and defense. According to Reuters reports, the leaders discussed expanding trade volume from 11 billion dollars to a previously targeted 15 billion dollars, alongside updating their existing free trade agreement.

During a joint press conference, the two leaders emphasized collaboration in infrastructure, biotechnology, and critical minerals. Turkey plans to construct four nuclear reactors in the northern Sinop province and four additional reactors in the Thrace region, with South Korea actively competing to participate in the major energy initiative. President Erdogan noted that South Korea could emerge as a key partner in developing the Sinop project, following a previous memorandum of understanding signed in Ankara in 2025 between Turkish nuclear firm TUNAS and Korea Electric Power Corp.

The discussions also focused on deepening defense industry ties and expanding joint defense exports to third countries. President Erdogan highlighted ongoing successful joint defense initiatives, specifically mentioning the Firtina self-propelled howitzers and the Altay main battle tank. Furthermore, around 80 officials and business executives attended a post-summit banquet, including Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung and Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae, underscoring strong industrial ties spanning automotive manufacturing and railway infrastructure since 1997.