President Lee Jae-myung and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith held a summit at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 15th. The two leaders agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership and to establish a hotline and sign a police cooperation MOU for the protection of their citizens.
Presidential Office spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced that the two leaders discussed ways to develop Korea-Laos relations and major regional and international issues. The two countries agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, including infrastructure, key minerals, and climate change response.
The leaders signed treaties on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and extradition to combat transnational crimes such as online scams. They also renewed the MOU on the employment permit system for labor dispatch. Additionally, they agreed to establish a hotline between the Korean Embassy in Laos and the Lao Ministry of Public Security for the protection of Korean citizens.
President Lee expressed hope that Korean companies could participate in the Luang Prabang International Airport development project in Laos. He also anticipated the establishment of a supply chain for key minerals, such as rare earth elements, based on Laos’ abundant natural resources and Korean technology. The leaders also promised close cooperation on regional and international issues, including the Korean Peninsula and Korea-ASEAN relations.