South Korean media: South Korea and Brazil elevate relations to strategic partnership, discuss comprehensive strengthening of economic, energy, and defense cooperation

President Lee Jae-myung held a summit with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the 23rd at the Blue House and decided to upgrade bilateral relations to "strategic partnership." This is the first time in the 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. During the presidency of Lula in 2004, then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun made an official visit to Brazil and established a "comprehensive partnership," and this time, the bilateral relationship has been further upgraded on that basis.

At a joint press conference after the meeting, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "I explained to President Lula the necessity of quickly resuming negotiations for a free trade agreement between South Korea and MERCOSUR, and President Lula expressed deep understanding." MERCOSUR is the largest economic community in South America, consisting of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and others. The South Korean government has long advocated for a free trade agreement between South Korea and MERCOSUR, but has not yet reached an agreement on issues such as market openness for goods.

President Lee Jae-myung also said, "In the aviation sector, both sides are advancing supply chain cooperation through the participation of South Korean parts companies in the manufacture of Brazilian transport aircraft," and "we will move towards a more advanced stage of cooperation through higher-level collaborations such as the joint development of next-generation civilian aircraft." He also mentioned that South Korea's first attempt to launch a commercial launch vehicle from the Alcantara Space Center in Brazil last December has become an important asset for the two countries' space cooperation.

President Lula stated that he had fully informed President Lee Jae-myung that if the sanitary inspection procedures for Brazilian beef exports are completed as soon as possible, it would benefit not only Brazil but also Korean consumers. Brazil ranks among the top exporters of beef globally, but South Korea has long restricted imports of Brazilian beef due to disease risks such as foot-and-mouth disease.

With this meeting as an opportunity, both sides adopted a four-year action plan to implement the South Korea-Brazil strategic partnership and signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and related agreements in 10 areas including small and medium enterprises, healthcare, and agriculture.

The memorandum of understanding also includes content on promoting exchanges and cooperation in the core mineral sector. At the expanded meeting, President Lula stated, "Brazil has the world's largest reserves of rare earths and is also rich in nickel resources, and we hope to attract South Korean companies to invest in the core mineral sector." Regarding the MOU on regulatory cooperation in the health sector, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Korean cosmetics that are currently popular in Brazil may gain even more popularity."

On the same day, President Lee Jae-myung greeted President Lula with a warm embrace. Since 10:30 a.m., President Lee Jae-myung had been waiting in front of the Blue House. Ms. Kim Hye-kyeong wore a blue top with a green ribbon and a light yellow skirt, matching the colors of the Brazilian flag. President Lula's black car was escorted by a military band and traditional honor guard into the Blue House. After both leaders got out of the car, they embraced each other with open arms.

The two leaders not only shook hands at the meeting site but also raised their right hands high and clapped loudly, showing the world their deep friendship. President Lee also presented a book with his portrait on the cover and wrote "I love you and respect you." After signing in the guestbook, President Lula received applause from President Lee, who praised, "Art." The meeting was extended by 50 minutes compared to the original schedule, and both leaders embraced again after the press conference.

On the same day, President Lee Jae-myung posted a welcome message on X (formerly Twitter) in Korean and Portuguese, referring to Lula as "my lifelong comrade" and writing, "You are ahead of me on the path of life and politics, and your experiences are extremely similar to my life trajectory." Both of them came from poor backgrounds and grew up as laborers before becoming human rights lawyers and labor movement activists, eventually becoming presidents. Lula dropped out of school at the age of 12 and worked in a dyeing factory, losing his little finger on his left hand at the age of 17 in a metal factory accident. President Lee worked as a child laborer in Suwon without entering high school, and suffered an injury to his left arm in a press machine accident.

Both of them have also experienced investigations by prosecutors. After his first term as president (2003–2010, re-elected), Lula was arrested just before the 2018 election due to being involved in the "Car Wash" investigation by Brazilian federal prosecutors, which led to the failure of his presidential campaign. However, the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court ruled the original sentence invalid in 2021, and he ran again and successfully won his third term the following year. President Lee Jae-myung also faced a comprehensive investigation by prosecutors before the election over cases such as the "Dajangdong Case," "Public Office Election Act," and "Sangryeong Case." The previous presidents of Brazil and South Korea, Jair Bolsonaro and Yoon Suk-yeol, respectively, were sentenced to 27 years in prison and life imprisonment for charges of plotting a coup and sedition, and are currently serving their sentences.

Source: JoongAng Ilbo

Original: toutiao.com/article/1857994985310299/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author himself.