South Korea and Italy cooperated to jointly promote economic growth.
In a recent update, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni agreed on Monday, January 19, 2026, to expand cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, aerospace, AI chips, and critical minerals, according to the Blue House.
According to reports Reuters, Mr. Meloni is visiting South Korea for a summit meeting with Mr. Lee.
South Korea is a world leader in semiconductors, and the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on chip industry cooperation, including in areas related to AI, Seoul’s presidential office said in a statement.
The Blue House statement said the two leaders also agreed to step up joint efforts to develop a resilient, reliable and critical mineral supply chain.
Mr. Meloni and Mr. Lee also discussed joint research projects, exchanges, cooperation in tourism and cultural cooperation, and reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Italy is one of South Korea’s four largest trading partners in the European Union, the Blue House said.
In particular, this will be the first official visit by an Italian leader to South Korea in 19 years for Meloni, who is currently on a tour of Asia including Japan and Oman.
Furthermore, the Italian Prime Minister renewed hopes that Mr. Lee may make an official visit to Italy this year.
