Egypt and South Korea sign 12 agreements and open free trade talks
President Sisi pitched a Korean industrial zone on the Suez Canal to 23 companies in Seoul before flying on to Malaysia.
Seoul — Egypt and South Korea have raised their relations to a "strategic partnership", signed 12 agreements and opened negotiations on a trade deal, Daily News Egypt reports.
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung on Thursday during a visit from 7 to 9 October. It was the first stop of an Asian tour that continues to Malaysia and Indonesia.
What was agreed
The two governments signed 12 agreements and memorandums of understanding across several sectors. They also launched talks on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and agreed to revive the Egyptian-Korean Business Council, with regular economic forums.
The visit follows President Lee's trip to Egypt in November 2025, which marked 30 years of diplomatic relations.
The Suez pitch
On Wednesday, Sisi met 23 major South Korean companies and proposed an integrated Korean industrial zone inside the Suez Canal Economic Zone.
The sectors he named included shipbuilding, electric vehicles, electronics, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, data centres, textiles and renewable energy.
Regional issues
Sisi also raised regional questions. He described Egypt's rights to Nile water as "existential", and spoke about Red Sea security, Libya, Yemen and a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.
This report is based on reporting by Daily News Egypt.
