President Lee Jae-myung Lands In Delhi, First Korean Leader To Visit India In 8 Years

South Korean President Lee Jae myung begins first India state visit in 8 years, aims to deepen Special Strategic Partnership, boost trade and tech.

Lee Jae-myung began a three-day state visit to India on Sunday. (Credit: X)

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung began a three-day state visit to India on Sunday, marking the first visit by a South Korean head of state to the country in more than eight years. In a social media post, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that Lee Jae-myung will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.

President Lee, who assumed office in June 2025, arrived in New Delhi accompanied by First Lady Kim Hea-kyung. The visit is being viewed as a key moment in Seoul’s outreach to the Global South and a “reboot” of its ties with India.

In a post on X, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said, “A very warm welcome to H.E. President Lee Jae Myung of Republic of Korea as he arrives in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. This is President Lee’s first visit…” The post added that the visit marks “an important milestone in advancing the Special Strategic Partnership”.

President Lee was received at the airport by Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road Transport and Highways, Harsh Malhotra, underscoring the importance New Delhi attaches to the visit.

India and South Korea elevated their relationship to a Special Strategic Partnership in 2015. Since then, cooperation has expanded across advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, defence production, green energy, infrastructure development and digital innovation. South Korean companies have become increasingly prominent in India’s industrial and consumer sectors, while Indian firms have strengthened their footprint in the Korean market.

Officials say President Lee’s visit is expected to inject fresh momentum into existing initiatives and pave the way for new trade and investment opportunities. It also aligns with India’s broader efforts to deepen engagement with Indo-Pacific partners, in which South Korea is seen as a key pillar.

The President’s schedule in New Delhi is packed with high-level engagements. His first major meeting will be with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to lay the groundwork for subsequent executive-level discussions. On Monday, President Lee will be accorded a formal ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by a visit to Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

The centrepiece of the visit will be a bilateral summit at Hyderabad House, where President Lee will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The discussions are expected to lead to the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding, particularly in critical technologies. Key focus areas include cooperation in semiconductors and green energy, boosting defence production under the “Make in India” initiative with Korean engineering, and expanding economic ties through an enhanced Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Following the summit, the two leaders are scheduled to issue joint press statements outlining their shared vision for a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

Recognising the growing role of the private sector, President Lee will also address a Business Forum at Bharat Mandapam. The event will bring together leading industry figures from both countries to explore investment prospects and ways to build more resilient supply chains.

The state visit will conclude with a meeting with President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a gesture that highlights the deep political and cultural respect between India and South Korea, the Ministry of External Affairs noted.

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