The foreign ministers of South Korea and East Timor have agreed to enhance collaboration in climate change, infrastructure, and human resource development. This agreement was reached during a meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his East Timorese counterpart, Bendito dos Santos Freitas in Seoul. Freitas’ visit marks the first official trip by an East Timorese foreign minister to South Korea since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2002.
The discussions between the two ministers focused on expanding cooperation in education, human resource development, and government capacity building, which are considered crucial for East Timor’s national development. They also explored avenues to strengthen collaboration in climate change initiatives such as greenhouse gas reduction projects, carbon capture and storage (CCS), maritime affairs, infrastructure, and law enforcement to combat transnational crime.
South Korea reiterated its support for East Timor’s integration into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and pledged ongoing assistance for the country’s engagement within the regional bloc. In response, Freitas expressed backing for South Korea’s comprehensive strategic partnership vision with ASEAN and various cooperation initiatives under this framework. East Timor officially became the 11th member of ASEAN in October 2025.
During the meeting, Cho highlighted the enduring relationship between the two nations, recalling South Korea’s deployment of the Sangnoksu peacekeeping unit to East Timor during its independence and nation-building phase from 1999 to 2003. Cho also outlined Seoul’s policy vision for peaceful coexistence with North Korea, which received support from Freitas. The ministers affirmed their commitment to collaborating further to advance regional and global peace and stability.
