UNJournal Lee Sung Jun | President Lee Jae-myung visits the United States and 3 South American countries to expand the horizons of AI cooperation and economic diplomacy. 

President Lee is embarking on the summit diplomacy to expand the supply chain for critical minerals, explore the South American market, and promote cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-tech industries by visiting San Francisco, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina in succession.

National Security Advisor Wi Sung-rak announced in a briefing on the 22nd that President Lee will visit San Francisco and the three South American countries from July 24 to August 3, before returning home via Frankfurt, Germany. This overseas trip is focused on cementing cooperation in high-tech industries in Silicon Valley, the global hub of the AI and semiconductor industries, and expanding the foundation for trade, investment, and economic security cooperation with key South American economies.

On July 24, President Lee is scheduled to attend the "San Francisco AI Summit" in San Francisco to meet with global AI leaders and officials from Silicon Valley big tech companies.

Following the government's announcement last month of three major mega-projects centered on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI, this visit aims to further accelerate Korea's AI growth strategy and concretize practical cooperation plans with global high-tech companies.

On the 25th, he will attend the "Silicon Valley Venture Investment Meetup." The plan is to lay the groundwork to expand overseas investment attraction and entry into the U.S. market for K-startups by connecting global venture capital firms with the domestic investment and startup ecosystem.

In particular, it is expected that connecting the venture investment ecosystems of both Korea and the United States will open a new growth pathway for domestic innovative companies to enter the global market. President Lee will pay a state visit to Brazil from July 26 to 29 at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Arriving in Brasilia on the afternoon of the 26th, President Lee will begin his official schedule with a welcome reception hosted by President Lula and his wife.

On the 27th, after attending an official welcoming ceremony, he will hold a summit at the Palazzo Alborada, the presidential residence. Following the summit, the two leaders are scheduled to proceed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony, a joint press conference, and a state luncheon.
Afterward, President Lee will travel to São Paulo to hold a luncheon meeting with local Korean expatriates on the 28th and attend the "Korea-Brazil Business Roundtable" to discuss ways to expand investment and industrial cooperation between companies of both countries.

During this summit, the leaders of Korea and Brazil are expected to extensively discuss practical cooperation measures in the defense, critical minerals, agriculture, energy, and high-tech sectors, as well as the resumption of negotiations for the Korea-Mercosur trade agreement. President Lee will make an official visit to Chile from July 29 to 30 to hold a summit with President José Antonio Cast of Chile's new government, which took office this year.

He will begin his official schedule with a dinner meeting with Korean expatriates on the evening of the 29th, and on the 30th, he will lay a wreath at the statue of Bernardo O'Higgins, a national hero of Chile.
Subsequently, he will attend an official welcoming ceremony at the Palazzo Moneda, the presidential palace, and proceed with a summit, an MOU signing ceremony, a joint press conference, and an official luncheon. In the afternoon, he will participate in the "Korea-Chile Business Roundtable" to discuss ways to expand trade and investment with business leaders from both countries.

With Chile, Korea's first free trade agreement (FTA) signatory, plans to modernize the FTA to reflect the changed trade environment are expected to be a major agenda item. The two countries also plan to strengthen cooperation for the successful preparation of the UN Conference on the Oceans and Seas, which they will co-host in 2028. President Lee will make an official visit to Argentina from July 30 to August 1 to hold a summit with President Javier Miller.

This marks the first bilateral visit by a South Korean president to Argentina in 22 years. Arriving in Buenos Aires on the evening of the 30th, President Lee will visit San Martín Square, which honors Argentina's independence heroes, on the 31st to lay a wreath. Following this, he will attend an official welcoming ceremony at Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, before holding a summit with President Miller.

The two leaders are scheduled to discuss cooperation measures in various fields, including trade and investment, key minerals, energy, agriculture, and culture. President Lee will conclude his South American tour that evening with a dinner meeting with local Korean expatriates.

On his return journey on August 2, he plans to hold a meeting with Korean expatriates in Frankfurt, Germany, to encourage them and listen to their voices from the field. The three countries of Brazil, Chile, and Argentina constitute a massive market with a total population of approximately 280 million and a GDP of about $3.7 trillion.

The government plans to discuss the resumption of negotiations for a Korea-Mercosur trade agreement with Brazil and Argentina, the leaders of Mercosur, and to significantly expand trade with Chile by pursuing the modernization of the Korea-Chile FTA.

The government also intends to actively support Korean companies' entry into the South American market through cooperation with Brazil, considered the largest defense market in Latin America; Argentina, where media coverage of the Korean Wave is active; and Chile, which possesses an infrastructure market with significant growth potential.
This visit is also highly significant in that it establishes an economic and security cooperation network with resource-rich South American nations.

Brazil is a global leader in rare earth reserves and a major exporter of coffee, sugar, and poultry. Chile is rich in copper and lithium resources, while Argentina possesses vast shale gas resources and an agricultural production base. The government plans to strengthen strategic partnerships with these countries, focusing on critical mineral supply chains, and to deepen discussions on diversifying sources of food and energy imports.
Furthermore, Brazil and Argentina play significant roles in the G20 and Mercosur, respectively, while Chile is also a key partner in the field of international maritime cooperation. Taking this trip as an opportunity, the government intends to expand the horizons of its diplomacy to the "Global South" and further solidify solidarity with major South American nations on the international stage.

This tour of the United States and South America is expected to serve as a catalyst for securing future growth engines in the AI and semiconductor sectors, while simultaneously broadening the scope of pragmatic diplomacy to encompass trade and investment, defense, infrastructure, critical minerals, energy, and food security.