South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, 3 August 2025, marking the final stop of a five-nation diplomatic tour that began on 24 July in San Francisco. Lee is scheduled to meet with members of the Korean community in Germany before flying back to Seoul later the same day.

Tour at a Glance

The tour opened in San Francisco, where Lee held talks with the heads of leading global technology companies, advancing South Korea's ambition to emerge as a worldwide hub for artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors. The itinerary then took him through Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, before concluding in Frankfurt.

Each stop carried a distinct strategic purpose — tech diplomacy in the United States, and critical mineral partnerships across South America — reflecting Seoul's dual-track effort to secure both the supply chains and the innovation ecosystems it needs for the next decade.

Buenos Aires Breakthrough: Lithium and Energy Deals

The most substantive outcomes of the tour came in Buenos Aires, where President Lee held a bilateral summit with Argentine President Javier Milei. The two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, specifically committing to pursue joint projects spanning the entire lithium value chain — from extraction through to battery-grade processing.

The two sides also agreed to expand South Korea's imports of Argentine crude oil beginning next year, and pledged to work toward the swift resumption of free trade agreement negotiations between South Korea and the South American trade bloc Mercosur.

What Lee Said

Speaking at a meeting with the South Korean community in Argentina on Friday, President Lee framed the bilateral relationship in broad geopolitical terms. 'I am confident that a new era of cooperation between Argentina and South Korea will fully unfold,' he said.

'Amid the changing international order, from the artificial intelligence revolution to shifts in global supply chains, strategic bilateral cooperation is more important than ever,' Lee added. He stressed that the partnership was already moving into a phase of 'tangible results', with collaboration expanding across critical minerals including lithium, as well as energy and infrastructure.

Why This Tour Matters

The five-nation sweep underscores South Korea's intensifying effort to diversify supply chains at a time when competition over AI chips and battery materials is reshaping global trade alignments. Lithium — central to EV batteries and energy storage — is abundant in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil, making South America a strategic priority for Seoul. Notably, this is one of the most geographically ambitious early foreign tours by a South Korean president, spanning three continents in under two weeks.

With Frankfurt as the symbolic close, Lee returns to Seoul having signed or advanced agreements on critical minerals, energy, trade, and AI technology — a portfolio that reflects the convergence of economic security and technological competition defining diplomacy in 2025.