South Korea Expands Southeast Asia Economic Cooperation

President Lee Jae Myung returned to Seoul on March 4, 2026, after a four-day state visit to Singapore and the Philippines where he sought expanded economic cooperation. He agreed with Singapore to begin negotiations to upgrade the bilateral free-trade agreement and deepen AI and nuclear-energy ties, and in Manila secured collaboration on nuclear energy, critical minerals, defense and AI; a Thursday cabinet meeting will assess Middle East fallout and market risks.