South Korean foreign minister Cho Tae-yul met with ambassadors and chargés d’affaires from 17 Central and South American countries on Monday to discuss expanding cooperation. Cho highlighted the historical ties between South Korea and the region, noting the support provided by Central and South American nations during the Korean War and the recent establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba.

The meeting explored potential areas for increased collaboration, including defense, aerospace and electric and hydrogen vehicles. Cho expressed hope for further cooperation during the upcoming ROK-Central and South America Future Cooperation Forum in June and the G20 and APEC summit meetings in November.

Why It Matters

Cho’s meeting with the 17 Central and South American ambassadors and chargés d’affaires underscores the region’s growing importance to South Korea.

During the 2023 Korea-Latin America Future Cooperation Forum, then-foreign minister Park Jin emphasized the Yoon administration’s diplomatic vision and the importance of cooperation with Latin American countries, in line with Seoul’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. However, despite these remarks, South Korea has not prioritized Latin America in its diplomatic outreach to the same extent as other regions, instead focusing on strengthening ties with the U.S., Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

South Korea and Mercosur, South America’s leading trade bloc, began their first free trade negotiations in 2018, but talks are still ongoing. In the meantime, South Korea has pursued free trade agreements with Central America and sought to enhance economic ties with individual countries like Brazil, Argentina and Chile, which are crucial for bolstering South Korea’s semiconductor supply chains.