Burhanettin Duran, head of the Turkish Presidency’s Communications Directorate, confirmed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to South Korea. Media outlets had earlier reported that a visit to Seoul was planned for November, without specifying a date. Duran said Erdoğan would be in South Korea from Nov. 1 to Nov. 4 at the invitation of his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jae Myung.
In a social media post, Duran said Turkish and South Korean officials would assess all aspects of their strategic partnership during Erdoğan’s visit, along with current regional and global issues. He noted that several documents would be signed during the visit to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Kang Yoo-jung, senior spokesperson for the South Korean presidency, said in a statement on Sunday that it would be Erdoğan’s first visit to the country in eight years. She noted that the South Korean president last visited Türkiye in November 2025. Lee was among the leaders of non-NATO countries invited to Türkiye for last July’s NATO summit, where he also held a bilateral meeting with Erdoğan. The South Korean spokesperson said the two leaders would sign memorandums of understanding in several fields. She added that Türkiye and South Korea established diplomatic relations in 1957 and elevated their ties to the level of a strategic partnership in 2012.
“Through this summit, the two leaders are scheduled to review the progress of projects resulting from last year's summit and discuss ways to strengthen trade and investment, nuclear power and defense cooperation, cooperation in future industries such as energy, science and technology, and social and cultural exchanges. They will also discuss major international issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. President Erdoğan's state visit is expected to serve as an opportunity to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries ahead of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027,” the spokesperson said.
Economic relations between Ankara and Seoul continue to develop on the basis of trade, investment and technological cooperation, alongside strong political ties dating back to the Korean War.
Trade relations, which gained a new dimension with the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed in 2012 and implemented in 2013, have expanded in recent years across a range of sectors, from automotive and defense to energy and digital technologies.
Türkiye has recently prioritized the development of joint projects with South Korea in strategic areas including nuclear energy, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, battery technologies, critical minerals, innovation and renewable energy. South Korea is also included in Türkiye's "Far Countries Strategy," which aims to boost exports to geographically distant but high-potential markets, and is listed among the country's target export markets.
Bilateral trade between the two countries has grown steadily in recent years. According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), trade volume between Türkiye and South Korea totaled $50.8 billion during the five-year period from 2021 to 2025. Bilateral trade reached $11.4 billion last year and amounted to $3.7 billion in the first four months of this year.
Türkiye's main exports to South Korea include pharmaceutical products, metal ores, machinery and equipment, and seafood, while imports from South Korea are led by iron and steel, plastics and plastic products, and motor vehicles.
Strengthening investment ties with South Korea is also seen as crucial for building stable and long-term cooperation.
A total of 226 South Korean companies have investments in Türkiye worth approximately $451 million, including major firms such as Hyundai Motor Company and LG Electronics.
In recent years, the two countries have continued to expand defense industry cooperation through various projects, particularly the Altay main battle tank program. Talks with South Korean companies have also intensified regarding the planned second nuclear power plant project in Sinop. Having previously collaborated on major infrastructure projects such as the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge and the Eurasia Tunnel, the two countries are further deepening cooperation through new highway and urban development protocols signed last year.
Meanwhile, a cooperation agreement signed between the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBITAK) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) enables Turkish and South Korean researchers to develop and receive funding for joint scientific R&D projects focusing on artificial intelligence, advanced materials and digital technologies.
