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Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy and President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea elevate their glasses throughout a banquet held on the Blue Home in Seoul on Jan. 19, 2026. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a summit assembly on Monday, the place they reaffirmed their shared dedication to attaining full denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and agreed to hitch forces for peace and stability within the Indo-Pacific area.
Meloni’s go to to South Korea marks the primary state go to by an Italian chief to Korea in 19 years. She can also be the primary overseas dignitary Lee has welcomed since his return to the Blue Home final month, and the primary head of a European state who has visited Korea because the Lee administration took workplace.
Following their summit on the Blue Home on Monday, Lee and Meloni issued a joint press assertion. The 2 nations vowed to “strengthen the continuing collaboration [. . .] so as to proactively contribute to sustaining worldwide peace” in addition to “peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
Meloni emphasised the significance of safety cooperation, reiterating the “clear hyperlinks between European safety and Indo-Pacific safety, beginning with the repercussions of the battle in Ukraine.”
Lee additionally introduced that the 2 leaders “agreed to additional develop bilateral relations to a future-oriented degree that befits the designation of a strategic partnership.” To this finish, they plan to broaden the horizons of cooperation into superior industries similar to AI and aerospace, additionally pursuing “complementary cooperation” within the protection business.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrived in South Korea on the Seoul Air Base on Jan. 18, 2026, together with her daughter, who was seen carrying a BlackPink lightstick (circled). (nonetheless from Meloni’s YouTube channel)
The joint press assertion additionally specified that Korea would strengthen joint efforts to develop important mineral provide chains via multilateral dialogue platforms just like the Minerals Safety Partnership, at present chaired by Korea. The 2 leaders additionally signed three memoranda of understanding on semiconductor business cooperation, civil safety cooperation, and cultural heritage and panorama safety.
Lee requested particular consideration to the security of Korean athletes and residents visiting Italy for the Winter Olympics subsequent month.
Meloni was accompanied on this journey by her daughter, Ginevra, who is thought to be a Okay-pop fanatic. Whereas Ginevra didn’t take part within the official schedule, footage of her disembarking the airplane on Sunday holding a BlackPink gentle stick — a hammer-shaped cheering machine with pink hearts on each side — was launched on the prime minister’s official YouTube channel. The sunshine stick, a logo of Okay-pop fan tradition, is an merchandise followers usually use at live shows and different occasions.
Okay-pop was additionally a subject of debate throughout Lee and Meloni’s summit. Throughout the expanded assembly, when Lee remarked that Korean tradition has turn into “more and more common in Italy as effectively, resulting in extra Italians visiting Korea,” Meloni laughed and expressed her settlement. Throughout the luncheon, Meloni remarked, “I imagine the worldwide enchantment of Korean tradition lies in an especially clever alternative and technique — one which masterfully blends the profoundly international with the profoundly nationwide.”
By Shin Hyeong-cheol, workers reporter
Please direct questions or feedback to [english@hani.co.kr]
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