President Lee Jae Myung and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral summit on Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to deepen cooperation across trade, defense and education as the two countries agreed to establish a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Lee praised New Zealand’s historic contribution during the Korean War, noting that the country “sent many troops to defend South Korea’s freedom and democracy even before the two nations had formal diplomatic ties.”
“New Zealand has now become a key trading partner for Korea, and cooperation in the defense industry continues to expand,” Lee said, adding that closer coordination between the two nations has become more vital amid growing global uncertainty.
Prime Minister Luxon echoed Lee’s remarks, emphasizing the shared values underpinning bilateral ties.
“Our two nations share important common values and have built deep relationships in trade, security and people-to-people exchanges,” he said. “With the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership, I hope this relationship will grow even stronger.”
Luxon noted that South Korea is now New Zealand’s fifth-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade volume having doubled since the signing of their free trade agreement.
“Korean students now rank fourth among all foreign students in New Zealand, reflecting the strong educational ties between our nations,” he added.
jychoi@heraldcorp.com
