Mexico and South Korea Strengthen Cooperation in AI, Semiconductors and Aerospace

Mexico City — Mexico’s foreign minister, Roberto Velasco Álvarez, concluded a two-day official visit to South Korea focused on strengthening political and economic ties and expanding cooperation in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, aerospace engineering, defense and security.

During the trip, Velasco held meetings with South Korean officials, academics and executives from companies with investments and operations in Mexico.

One of the topics on the agenda was the upcoming visit to Mexico by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Velasco called the trip particularly significant because no South Korean president has visited Mexico in roughly a decade.

Velasco met with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to discuss initiatives aimed at expanding political, economic and cooperation ties. He also met with Wi Sung-lac, South Korea’s national security adviser, to exchange views on the international and regional landscape.

At those meetings, both sides agreed to pursue closer cooperation in aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, digital governance, defense and security, and to strengthen knowledge exchange.

At the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Velasco spoke with representatives including So Young Kim and Han Seung Hun. The talks included a proposal to develop specialized education programs in Mexico covering engineering, technology and semiconductors — fields seen as strategic for expanding the country’s industrial and technological capacity.

On the business side, Velasco met with executives from Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, Posco, Hana Financial Group, HL Mando and LG. The Mexican delegation outlined investment conditions and opportunities linked to projects under the Plan Mexico strategy.

Velasco also met Namkoong Hong, president and CEO of Samsung E&A, to review projects the company has carried out in Mexico, mainly in the energy sector, and to explore new areas of collaboration.

Velasco later toured LG’s Innovation Gallery with Ko Yunju, president of its Global Strategy Center, where he saw projects involving artificial intelligence, data centers and automotive software — areas in which Mexico wants to expand bilateral cooperation.

The trip ended with a meeting at Mexico’s Embassy in South Korea, where Ambassador Carlos Peñafiel Soto and Velasco reviewed consular services for Mexican citizens and diplomatic efforts to advance the bilateral agenda.