President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung will pay a State Visit to Mongolia from July 9 to 11, 2026. Ahead of his visit, he gave an exclusive interview to MONTSAME. This is what he had to say about his visit.  President Lee outlines his vision for elevating bilateral relations to a "strategic partnership", what he calls a "New Golden Era" of Mongolia-Korea relations.

-What is the purpose and significance of your State Visit to Mongolia?

-This State Visit carries special significance for me. Compared to other Presidents in the history of the Republic of Korea, I am visiting Mongolia sooner after taking office than any of my predecessors. It is also the first State Visit by a Korean head of state in 15 years, which gives it particular weight. Last September, I spoke by telephone with President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa, and we found common ground on the development of relations between our two countries. I am truly delighted to now meet in person and discuss the new future of our bilateral relationship.

I consider it a great honor to have been invited as a guest of honor to the National Naadam Festival — a celebration that embodies the pride, freedom, and independence of the Mongol people. I understand that Naadam is not simply a festival, but a celebration in which Mongolia's history, unique culture, and national spirit reside. By visiting during Naadam, I hope to experience that atmosphere together with the Mongol people and to reflect once again on the common values our two countries share — freedom, independence, and sovereignty.

Mongolia and Korea are close partners that have built firm mutual trust over the past 36 years, grounded in the shared values of democracy and a free market economy. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1990, our two countries have steadily developed cooperation across politics, the economy, culture, and people-to-people exchange, even amid complex geopolitical circumstances.

I Hope This Visit Will Be a Step Toward Opening a "New Golden Era" of Mongolia-Korea Relations Together

Through this visit, I hope to elevate Mongolia-Korea relations to a future-oriented "strategic partnership" — and I hope this will be a step toward opening a "New Golden Era" of Mongolia-Korea relations together. I understand that for Mongolians, the word "golden" symbolizes prosperity and honor. I believe the "Golden Era" of Mongolia-Korea relations that our two countries will build together will open a new chapter filled with pride for the peoples of both nations.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Mongolia for its consistent support of our Government's efforts for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Beyond this, our two countries face no shortage of challenges to address together — trade and supply chains, healthcare, combating climate change, and ensuring food security. I hope this visit will create opportunities for tangible results on these pressing issues, and I am confident it will be a valuable occasion for Mongolia and Korea to affirm that we are partners building the future together as each other's most trusted friends.

-Ensuring a stable supply of critical minerals and supply chains has become a crucial global challenge. Korea has been investing in Mongolia's critical minerals sector and established the Korea-Mongolia Joint Rare Metals Committee. What model of cooperation can our two countries develop in this field?

-Today, critical minerals are strategic assets that underpin industry, technology, and national security. Building safe and reliable supply chains has become a vital challenge for every country. From this perspective, Mongolia — with its abundant mineral wealth and development potential — and Korea — with its strengths in mining exploration, technological development, and industrial innovation — can become vital supply chain partners for one another.

Our two countries established the Korea-Mongolia Joint Rare Metals Committee in 2023, creating an institutional framework for cooperation. Korean enterprises have invested in exploration and development projects in Mongolia covering coking coal, tungsten, copper, and other resources.

Going forward, we need to take this cooperation to the next level on that foundation. I believe we should broaden the scope of joint participation in mining development and build a cooperation model based on supply chains that add value and grow together. For example, we can create a business model in which both sides participate across every stage of the critical minerals supply chain — from exploration to processing, high value-added industrial linkages, recycling, and human resource development. I hope the Korea-Mongolia Rare Metals Research Center, which opened last year, will become a hub for developing cooperation to expand the critical minerals supply chains of our two countries.

This cooperation will serve as a foundation supporting a stable supply of critical minerals for Korea, while contributing to advanced industrial development, value creation, and technological progress for Mongolia. I hope this model of cooperation will continue sustainably, strengthening our bilateral relationship and supporting both economies.

-One in ten Mongolians has experience working in Korea, and Korea is home to the largest community of Mongolian residents in the world. Korean culture — K-dramas and the Korean language — also has a significant influence on the Mongolian people. What efforts do you believe are needed to expand cooperation in people-to-people exchange?

-I have heard that there is a saying in Mongolia: "You may conquer the world on horseback, but to govern, you must dismount and win the hearts of the people."

I believe this saying captures the essence of Mongolia-Korea relations. The force that truly binds countries together is human goodwill and trust. This serves as a compass for our bilateral relations, and the real engine of development comes from the hearts and mutual trust of our peoples.

Last year, the number of travelers between our two countries reached a historic high of 360,000. The number of Korean citizens visiting Mongolia is growing every year, and the number of Mongolians traveling to Korea is rising as well. More than 60,000 Mongolian citizens are building the shared future of Korea and Mongolia in Korean industry, universities, and research institutes.

To create tangible improvements that citizens of both countries can feel in their daily lives, we will also sign an agreement on the mutual recognition of driver's licenses and work toward concluding a consular agreement.

Trust and friendship between our peoples form the foundation of Mongolia-Korea relations — stronger than any agreement. At my summit meeting with President Khurelsukh, I will propose raising people-to-people exchange between our two countries to 500,000 by 2030, the year marking the 40th anniversary of our diplomatic relations. To create tangible improvements that citizens of both countries can feel in their daily lives, we will also sign an agreement on the mutual recognition of driver's licenses and work toward concluding a consular agreement — laying the institutional groundwork to prepare together for the era of 500,000 exchanges.

Going forward, we must work together not only to increase the numbers, but to improve the quality of these exchanges. We will steadily improve conditions and treatment for Mongolian workers and students residing in Korea. We also need to jointly build practical foundations for more convenient travel between our two countries, including expanding air routes and flight frequencies. Through this, we will create an environment in which the citizens of both countries embrace one another as close and trusted friends, and as partners opening the future together.

-Since 2013, Mongolia has organized the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security and has served as a neutral bridge between South and North Korea. How do you assess Mongolia's role in establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula?

-Mongolia is a close partner that shares with Korea the common values of democracy and a free market economy, while also being a unique neighbor that has long maintained traditional friendly relations with North Korea. Moreover, Mongolia has maintained balanced relations not only with China and Russia but with other key countries of the region, contributing to peace and stability in Northeast Asia. I believe this diplomatic capacity of Mongolia is more important now than at any time before.

The Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security, organized by Mongolia, has served as a valuable platform for openly discussing ways to ease regional tensions and build trust. We share this conviction and participate actively — at this year's Ulaanbaatar Dialogue in June, our Minister of Unification attended and presented the Korean Government's policy toward North Korea.

Our government seeks to end the era of hostility and confrontation between South and North Korea and to build a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula. To realize this vision, we plan to comprehensively pursue the expansion and normalization of inter-Korean relations, along with a phased approach to denuclearization.

Regrettably, both inter-Korean dialogue and dialogue between North Korea and the United States have long been at a standstill. In this situation, it is important for the international community to maintain channels of communication with North Korea and to create platforms for discussing regional peace. Mongolia, as a trusted partner for peace that also maintains dialogue with North Korea, can play a significant role built on the trust it has accumulated in the region.

I hope that Mongolia, drawing on the diplomatic trust it has built and the valuable asset that is the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue, will contribute even more to peace and stability — not only on the Korean Peninsula but across Northeast Asia as a whole. I believe that the power to create peace comes not from military force, but from mutual trust and dialogue.

-What outcomes do you hope Mongolia-Korea relations will achieve? Please also share your message to the Mongolian people and our readers.

-I want Korea-Mongolia relations to be more than a relationship that exists on diplomatic documents — I want it to be a partnership that is tangibly felt in the daily lives of the citizens of both countries.

We aim to open the era of 500,000 people-to-people exchanges by 2030, the 40th anniversary of our diplomatic relations, and to build a real foundation for young Mongolians to seek more opportunities in Korea, and for Korean enterprises to seek more opportunities in Mongolia. We aim to deliver concrete results in areas that directly affect the lives of our citizens — building resource and supply chains, healthcare, food security, and combating climate change.

At this time of rapid geopolitical change in Northeast Asia, I attach great importance to cooperation with Mongolia — a country fulfilling its responsibilities in the international community, endowed with abundant resources and the diplomatic asset of balanced foreign relations. Rather than short-term results, I hope to solidify the foundations of medium and long-term cooperation. I believe this is the most valuable legacy we can pass on to our future generations.

Korea regards Mongolia as its most trusted friend, with whom it has shared common values. At this very moment, there are more than 60,000 Mongolians working diligently in every corner of Korean society, studying at universities and research institutes, and learning the Korean language and culture. Their hard work and dedication bring vitality to Korean industry and local communities, and they are the greatest force bringing Korean society closer to Mongolia.

The Republic of Korea and Mongolia have traveled a 36-year journey of understanding each other's joys and hardships and growing together. I hope we will remain faithful partners through the times ahead. To the people of Mongolia reading this, I express my deep respect and send my warmest friendship. Баярлалаа (Thank you)!

Published Date:2026-07-09