South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have agreed to step up collaboration in key areas including defense, arms, clean energy, and critical minerals, according to a statement from Seoul’s presidential office on Thursday.
The 15-minute phone call marked the first official contact between the two leaders since President Lee assumed office last week. During the conversation, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the countries' comprehensive strategic partnership.
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the leaders emphasized expanding cooperation in sectors of shared strategic interest. They also agreed to coordinate more closely on regional security issues, particularly efforts to address North Korea’s nuclear program.
In addition, the two leaders expressed support for the upcoming APEC summit, scheduled to take place in South Korea’s Gyeongju later this year, and agreed to continue consultations aimed at ensuring the event’s success.
The presidential office noted that both leaders expressed interest in holding an in-person meeting at a later date to explore specific avenues for strengthening bilateral ties.