New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung arrived in New Delhi on Sunday for a three-day state visit.

Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra received President Lee and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung at the airport in New Delhi.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that the South Korean President’s visit to India marks an “important milestone” in advancing the Special Strategic Partnership between the two nations.

“A very warm welcome to H.E. President Lee Jae Myung of Republic of Korea as he arrives in New Delhi on a State Visit to India. This is President Lee’s first visit to India,” Jaiswal posted on X.

“President Lee was received by Shri Harsh Malhotra, MoS, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The visit marks an important milestone in advancing the India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership,” he added.

President Lee is on a three-day visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi on Monday and the two leaders will hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation in various sectors, including shipbuilding, trade, investments, AI, semiconductors, critical and emerging technologies, people-to-people connect and cultural exchanges. They will also discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, the MEA stated.

PM Modi is also scheduled to host a lunch in honour of the visiting leader.

President Lee will also hold talks with President Droupadi Murmu. President Murmu will also host a banquet in his honour at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will call on the South Korean President.

President Lee will also pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat on Monday.

“India and the ROK share a multifaceted partnership rooted in ancient civilizational ties and shared values of democracy and rule of law. The visit of President Lee underscores the shared aspiration of both countries to further strengthen the existing areas of cooperation while expanding collaboration in new and emerging areas of mutual interest,” the MEA stated.

Last November, PM Modi held a meeting with the South Korean President on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. This was their second meeting in 2025, following their talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada.

“Had a wonderful meeting with President Mr Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea during the Johannesburg G20 Summit. This is our second meeting this year, indicative of the strong momentum in our Special Strategic Partnership. We exchanged perspectives to further deepen our economic and investment linkages,” PM Modi posted on X following the meeting.

–IANS

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