South Korea, Turkey expand nuclear, defence ties — SkimNews
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- South Korea and Turkey agreed to expand collaboration on nuclear energy, including the Sinop reactor project in northern Turkey, with both leaders confirming progress in talks over construction cooperation.
- Lee Jae Myung and Tayyip Erdogan committed to boosting bilateral trade from $11 billion to $15 billion and updating their free trade agreement during Erdogan’s first visit to South Korea since 2018.
- Turkey plans to build eight nuclear reactors—four in Sinop and four in Thrace—as part of its strategy to reduce reliance on imported energy, with South Korea competing for the contracts.
- South Korea and Turkey will pursue joint defence exports to third countries, building on prior collaborations like the Firtina howitzer and Altay tank projects, according to statements from both leaders.
- Hyundai Rotem has supplied most of Turkey’s trams since 2008 and is seeking new rail project orders, while Hyundai Motor Group maintains a 200,000-unit annual production plant in the country.
- TUNAS and Korea Electric Power Corp signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear energy cooperation during Lee Jae Myung’s 2025 visit to Ankara, laying groundwork for current discussions.
Why it matters: The expanded nuclear and defence partnership gives South Korea a strategic foothold in Turkey’s $15 billion energy and rail modernization push, while Turkey gains advanced technology access and diversification from its current reliance on Russian and Chinese infrastructure partners. This shifts competitive dynamics in Eurasian energy projects.
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