South Korea and Italy pledge cooperation on AI, chips and critical minerals

South Korea and Italy pledged broad new cooperation on artificial intelligence, semiconductors and critical minerals, moving to deepen industrial and strategic ties at summit talks in Seoul. The agreement, reached between President Lee Jae Myung and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the presidential office, signals a push to align two economies around advanced technologies, resilient supply chains and closer security coordination.

The two leaders signed three memorandums of understanding, including a chip-industry MOU that explicitly links semiconductor collaboration with AI development. Additional MOUs cover civilian protection in natural disasters and the protection of cultural heritage and historical sites. Officials said the pacts are intended to bind public institutions and private companies into practical partnerships across aerospace and aviation, advanced manufacturing, transportation and joint research and academic exchanges.

A joint press statement accompanying the summit pledged strengthened cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels to “proactively contribute to maintaining international peace and security and to address global challenges.” The statement reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and to promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Leaders agreed to reinforce engagement in G20 formats and to strengthen Seoul’s ties with the Group of Seven, of which Italy is a member.

Securing critical raw materials emerged as a central theme. The two governments agreed to intensify efforts to develop resilient and reliable critical-mineral supply chains, aiming to reduce exposure to single-source dependencies and accelerate downstream processing capacity. The initiative is designed to support semiconductor manufacturing and emerging AI hardware, while also underpinning defense-industry collaboration that each side said would build on complementary strengths.

Economic considerations underlie the diplomatic push: Italy ranks among South Korea’s four largest trading partners within the European Union, and officials framed the summit’s agreements as a pathway to boost high-tech trade and investment. The memorandum on chips is expected to encourage joint ventures, technology transfers and coordinated industrial policy to sustain supply of wafers, sophisticated packaging and AI-optimized processors.

Political and cultural elements accompanied the industrial agenda. Lee framed the partnership as a synergy between Italy’s “traditional strengths as a scientific powerhouse” and South Korea’s role as a technology leader, saying there was “no limit to the potential of the bilateral relationship.” Meloni warned that the war in Ukraine represents an “extremely serious risk to Europe’s security,” while also reiterating a personal interest in strengthening ties with Seoul. She visited the Seoul National Cemetery as part of the multi-day state-level visit, marking the first Italian trip at that level to South Korea in 19 years.

Looking ahead, the leaders agreed to convene the next round of bilateral dialogue “as soon as possible” and to draft a Korea-Italy action plan for 2026–2030 to set concrete objectives. Meloni extended an invitation from Italian President Sergio Mattarella for a state visit to Rome, and Lee said he “look[s] forward to visiting Italy in the near future to continue today’s constructive discussions and translate them into tangible results.”

Analysts say the accords reflect growing competition over AI and semiconductor supply chains and a shared interest in diversifying critical-material sources. If implemented, the partnership could accelerate technology ties between Europe and East Asia while reshaping supply networks tied to strategic industries.