While visiting the Indian capital of New Delhi, President Lee Jae Myung held a summit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then dined with Indian President Droupadi Murmu on Apr. 20. Lee’s visit gave the two countries a chance to take their partnership to “a whole new level.”

During their summit, Lee and Modi expressed their conviction that Korea and India are ideal partners for realizing their respective visions of national development and pledged to work together closely to surmount the obstacles posed by rapid geopolitical changes. They proposed bolstering meaningful cooperation in emerging strategic fields such as shipbuilding, AI, defense, finance, culture and gaming. The two leaders also discussed ways to stabilize the supply of critical materials and energy resources.

The two leaders signed a total of 15 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) after the summit. These bilateral documents include the Joint Strategic Vision ROK (Republic of Korea)-India Special Strategic Partnership, which covers the next five years (2026–2030), as well as three supplemental documents (Comprehensive Framework for Partnership in Shipbuilding, Shipping and Maritime Logistics; Joint Statement on Cooperation in Sustainability; and Joint Statement on Energy Resource Security).

President Lee Jae Myung visited the Presidential Palace in Hanoi for a summit with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam on the afternoon of Apr. 22. After a thorough discussion, the two leaders signed 12 documents designed to boost cooperation in future-oriented and strategic areas.

Notably, the two leaders established a framework for expanding exports of Korean pharmaceuticals and poultry and agreed to work toward the goal of reaching USD 150 billion in trade by 2030. They also pledged to cooperate more closely on energy security and supply chain stability by involving Korea in major projects funded by the Vietnamese government, including nuclear reactors, urban development and airport construction and by combining Vietnam’s plentiful resources and Korea’s technical prowess in creating the critical mineral supply chain that the two countries are pursuing.

The two leaders also committed to enabling more Korean companies to operate in Vietnam and to supporting innovation and the digital transition in Vietnam through cooperation in the financial sector. In the fields of technology and IT, they agreed to increase cooperation on joint research in AI, semiconductors and biotech, and boost support for training researchers.