South Korean President Lee Jae Myung signs critical‑minerals MoU with Argentina, pushes Korea‑Mercosur trade talks
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in Buenos Aires for a three‑day visit, the first South Korean presidential trip to Argentina in 22 years. He met Argentine President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada, where the two leaders signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in critical minerals, especially lithium, aiming to develop joint projects across the entire lithium value chain – from exploration to processing and refining.
The summit also revived stalled negotiations on a free‑trade agreement between South Korea and the Mercosur bloc, with both sides pledging to restart talks that have been on hold since 2021. Lee praised Argentina’s Regime of Incentives for Large Investments (RIGI and “Super RIGI”) as a catalyst for major projects, and highlighted cooperation opportunities in artificial intelligence, energy and food sectors. South Korean steelmaker Posco was granted RIGI benefits for its Sal de Oro lithium project, a $207.9 million investment that will receive tax exemptions and export‑rights waivers.
Overall, the visit sought to deepen bilateral economic ties, secure supply‑chain links for critical minerals vital to batteries and semiconductors, and lay groundwork for broader trade and technology collaboration.
Entities: Argentina · Javier Milei · José Antonio Kast · Korea‑Chile Free Trade Agreement · Lee Jae Myung · Lee Jae‑myung · Mercosur · South Korea
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] South Korea aims to diversify its critical‑mineral supply chains and secure lithium for batteries and semiconductors. (5f94adc1-1b92-43cd-b0ef-6960df9d20c4)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Korea‑Chile FTA, in force since 2004, has increased trade fourfold but lacks coverage of AI, digital trade and critical minerals. (0dcbe37f-6161-44a9-9df2-10e2a86f7fe7)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Argentina holds the world’s fourth‑largest lithium reserves. (64cc584b-cb0e-42fd-9b30-0750552c8657)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Lee Jae Myung arrived in Argentina, the first South Korean presidential visit to the country in 22 years. (a7f8199d-f05a-4009-8b7b-7583dd335794)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] President Lee Jae Myung visited Chile and signed five MOUs, including a mineral‑resources partnership MOU. (0dcbe37f-6161-44a9-9df2-10e2a86f7fe7)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Negotiations for a Korea‑Mercosur free‑trade agreement have been stalled since 2021 and are slated to resume. (64cc584b-cb0e-42fd-9b30-0750552c8657)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Korea and Chile re‑activated the FTA Free Trade Committee after a ten‑year hiatus. (0dcbe37f-6161-44a9-9df2-10e2a86f7fe7)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Lee Jae Myung met Argentine President Javier Milei to discuss lithium supply‑chain cooperation and restarting Korea‑Mercosur trade negotiations. (64cc584b-cb0e-42fd-9b30-0750552c8657)
- [● 4 SOURCES] Lee Jae Myung and Javier Milei signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in critical minerals, especially lithium. (Argentina and South Korea signed a memorandum of cooperation in critical minerals during the visit of South Korean pres)
- [● 3 SOURCES] South Korean President Lee Jae Myung visited Argentina, the first South Korean presidential visit in 22 years. (President Lee Jae Myung is set to meet Argentine President Javier Milei on Friday to forge a supply‑chain partnership on)
- [● 3 SOURCES] South Korean steelmaker Posco received RIGI benefits for its Sal de Oro lithium project, a $207.9 million investment. (Posco accesses the RIGI regime for its Sal de Oro lithium project with an investment of 207.9 million USD)
- [● 3 SOURCES] South Korea and Argentina discussed resuming stalled Korea‑Mercosur free‑trade agreement negotiations. (Lee and Milei are also expected to expand practical cooperation in defense, ... the summit will also address the res)