[Gyeongju APEC] Lee Meets New Zealand Prime Minister: "We Will Not Forget Korean War Dedication... An Important Trade Partner"

Lee Jaemyung and Christopher Luxon Hold Summit
Lee: "Bilateral Cooperation Expanding in Defense and Defense Industry"
Luxon: "Korea is New Zealand's Fifth Largest Trading Partner"

President Lee Jaemyung met with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and expressed his gratitude for New Zealand's deployment of troops during the Korean War, proposing to further expand bilateral cooperation in various fields including trade, defense, and the defense industry.

Yonhap News Agency

On the 30th, at the International Media Center HICO in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, President Lee held a summit with Prime Minister Luxon and stated, "At the time of the Korean War, New Zealand had not even established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea, yet it sent a significant number of troops relative to its population to help defend the free and democratic Republic of Korea. We will never forget New Zealand's dedication and contribution."

President Lee added, "Not only has it been ten years since the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), but even before that, exchanges between Korea and New Zealand in the fields of economy, culture, and society have increased, making New Zealand a very important trading partner. Cooperation in the defense sector has also been proceeding smoothly, and recently, collaboration in the defense industry has continued to expand between our two countries."

President Lee continued, "The more complex the international order and the more challenging the environment becomes, the deeper and more cooperative the relationship between New Zealand and the Republic of Korea should grow, with both sides supporting each other. I hope that Prime Minister Luxon's visit will serve as an opportunity for our two countries to develop a mutually respectful, cooperative, and supportive partnership."

In response, Prime Minister Luxon said, "We are building broader and deeper relations in many areas, including trade, defense, security, and people-to-people exchanges. Although we have been doing so for decades, I hope that today will mark the beginning of establishing a comprehensive and strategic partnership, allowing us to further strengthen our relationship going forward."

Prime Minister Luxon also stated, "Security cooperation and trade relations between our two countries have continued to deepen. In particular, in terms of trade, the Republic of Korea is New Zealand's fifth-largest trading partner, and among international students in New Zealand, those from Korea rank fourth in number. Since the signing of the FTA, the volume of trade has nearly doubled."

Finally, Prime Minister Luxon concluded, "I hope that today's discussions will further deepen and develop our relationship."