PRIME MINISTER Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim held a telephone conversation with President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea on Tuesday morning, extending his “warm congratulations” on the latter’s recent electoral victory and that of the Democratic Party.
“I expressed full confidence in his leadership as the country enters a new chapter,” said Anwar in a Facebook post following the call.
Both leaders reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral ties under the Malaysia-Korea Free Trade Agreement (MKFTA), which was elevated during Anwar’s official visit to Seoul in November last year.
“Our cooperation will continue to focus on four key areas: peace and security, defence, economic ties, and people-to-people exchanges through education and tourism, along with broader regional and global collaboration,” the Prime Minister said.
South Korea remains Malaysia’s eighth largest trading partner, with bilateral trade having exceeded USD20 billion for three consecutive years. Anwar reiterated Malaysia’s “commitment to concluding the MKFTA within this year”.
Anwar also extended an invitation to President Lee to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit and the ASEAN–ROK Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur this October.
“I will attend the APEC Summit in Gyeongju this November, and look forward to welcoming him on an official visit to Malaysia ahead of the ASEAN meetings,” he added. - June 24, 2025