South Korea and Brazil sign agreements on trade and agriculture

Brazilian consumers may soon find it easier to access popular “K-beauty” products following agreements reached on Monday during President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s state visit to South Korea.

Lula and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung signed a series of accords in Seoul spanning agriculture, trade, and broader business cooperation.

Among the agreements, Lee highlighted a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening regulatory cooperation in the health sector, a move expected to reduce barriers for South Korean skincare and cosmetic products entering the South American market.

Lee said the deal would make K-beauty products “even more accessible to Brazilian consumers.”
South Korea has become a global force in the cosmetics industry, exporting skincare products worth billions of dollars annually, while Brazil ranks among the world’s largest beauty markets.

At a joint press conference, Lee disclosed that annual trade between the two countries now exceeds $10 billion and announced that both nations had agreed to upgrade their ties to a strategic partnership.

Lee also praised Lula’s personal resilience ahead of the summit, noting that both leaders rose from challenging childhoods to national leadership. Lee once worked in a sweatshop to support his family, while Lula left school early and survived through street trading and manual jobs.

Commending Lula’s political journey, Lee described him as a symbol of democracy’s power to drive social and economic development, adding that Brazil’s continued progress under his leadership was assured.

Lula was imprisoned in 2018 on corruption charges but later released after a court ruled that the judge overseeing the case had been biased.

During the visit, Lee’s office hosted Lula and his wife, Rosângela, with a ceremonial welcome, including a decorative cake featuring the couple.

Brazil remains one of South Korea’s most important trading partners in South America, with both countries seeking to deepen economic and diplomatic cooperation.