South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is scheduled to meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to discuss expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), nuclear energy, and other areas. This summit will be their second meeting in four months, following discussions during Wong’s visit to South Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where the two countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership.
Before the summit, Lee was greeted by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and participated in a naming ceremony for an orchid hybrid named “Vanda Lee Jae Myung Kim Hea Kyung” in honor of Lee and the first lady. The upcoming talks aim to strengthen current bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and infrastructure, as well as expand collaboration in sectors like AI and nuclear power, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.
To enhance cooperation, both nations plan to sign five memorandums of understanding (MOUs) covering AI, small modular reactors, and digital and science and technology. Following the discussions, Lee and Wong will announce plans to start negotiations to upgrade their existing free trade agreement, which has been in effect since 2006, focusing on goods and services, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In a bid to deepen AI collaboration, Lee will participate in the AI Connect Summit, a business forum involving entrepreneurs and industry leaders in the AI sector. AI stands out as a key area of partnership between South Korea and Singapore, with South Korea excelling in semiconductors, data center infrastructure, and AI manufacturing, while Singapore leads in AI governance, regulation, and serves as an AI data hub in Southeast Asia.
