South Korea, Türkiye agree to deepen nuclear and defense cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have agreed to deepen cooperation in strategic industries, including nuclear power and defense manufacturing, Report informs, citing Yonhap.

"Today, President Erdoğan and I agreed to broaden the scope of bilateral cooperation built on deep friendship and trust. Our two countries will pursue more substantive cooperation in strategic industries, including nuclear power plants, defense manufacturing and infrastructure," Lee said at a joint press conference in Seoul.

He said the two sides had noted progress in cooperation on Türkiye's Sinop nuclear power plant project, in which South Korea plans to participate.

South Korea' state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and Türkiye Nuclear Energy Company signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on the project during the leaders' 2025 summit and began a preliminary feasibility study.

Erdoğan arrived in South Korea on Monday for a three-day state visit, his first trip to the country since 2018.