President Lee Jae-myung, who is visiting Malaysia to attend the ASEAN summit, held his first summit with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on the 27th (local time) and concluded a Korea-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA). In particular, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen defense industry cooperation. Presidential Office Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a written briefing that the Korea-Malaysia leaders met in Kuala Lumpur and agreed on these points.
According to the Spokesperson Kang, the two leaders welcomed the conclusion of FTA negotiations between Korea and Malaysia through this summit and said they expect that, based on this, cooperation will further accelerate not only in trade and investment between the two countries as key economic partners in the region, but also in strategic industries such as digital and AI (artificial intelligence).
Meeting Prime Minister Anwar that day, President Lee said, "It is very meaningful to visit Malaysia, this year's ASEAN chair and a long-standing friendly nation, as the first destination among ASEAN countries." In response, Prime Minister Anwar expressed appreciation for Lee's visit to Malaysia amid his busy preparations for the APEC summit and said, "President Lee's visit to Malaysia will provide important momentum for Korea-Malaysia relations and Korea-ASEAN relations to make a leap to the next level." He also said, "In strengthening Malaysia's defense capabilities, Korea is a trustworthy and important partner," and expressed hope to strengthen cooperation with Korea in the defense industry.
They also pledged support for peace on the Korean Peninsula. President Lee asked for Malaysia's support and cooperation for the Korean government's efforts to open a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula, and Prime Minister Anwar, according to Spokesperson Kang, said, "We support the Korean government's policy on the Korean Peninsula and will actively cooperate with ASEAN and the international community so that the Korean government's efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula can bear fruit."