[Briefing] President Lee Jae-myung Holds First Call with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (July 23, 2025)
[Briefing] President Lee Jae-myung Holds First Call with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (July 23, 2025)
📌 A New Diplomatic Chapter Between Korea and Sweden
On July 23, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone conversation with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The call marked more than a congratulatory exchange — it served as a starting point for deepening bilateral cooperation in diplomacy, economy, security, and culture.
🧭 Historical Trust: Sweden’s Humanitarian Role on the Korean Peninsula
Although Korea and Sweden established official diplomatic ties in 1959, their relationship goes back to the Korean War. As a neutral country, Sweden operated a field hospital for UN forces and provided humanitarian aid to Korean civilians and soldiers. This legacy continues today through Sweden's participation in the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), which monitors the Korean Armistice Agreement.
President Lee acknowledged Sweden’s long-standing contributions to Korean peace and appreciated Prime Minister Kristersson’s support for reviving high-level exchanges and ongoing dialogue.
🧭 NNSC and the Symbolism of Peace
Established in 1953 under the Korean Armistice Agreement, the NNSC includes Sweden and Switzerland as neutral observers. Despite the North Korean delegation's withdrawal in the 1990s, Sweden continues to monitor the armistice from the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom. President Lee's reference to this underscores Sweden's consistent and symbolic commitment to Korean peace.
💡 Strategic Cooperation in Trade, Security, and Innovation
The leaders discussed expanding bilateral trade and investment and enhancing cooperation in defense, cultural exchange, and supply chains. Sweden is home to global companies like Volvo, Ericsson, IKEA, and H&M, and leads in green energy and digital innovation. Korea, with its tech and manufacturing strengths, offers a strong complementary partnership.
Key areas for cooperation include:
- ✔ Green energy and carbon neutrality: offshore wind, hydrogen
- ✔ Digital transformation: AI, cloud, and startup collaboration
- ✔ Defense technology exchange
- ✔ Cultural and people-to-people exchanges
🔍 Toward a Future Face-to-Face Summit
The two leaders expressed hope to meet in person soon to further discuss areas of mutual interest. This opens the possibility of transforming dialogue into practical diplomatic outcomes, reflecting Korea’s strategy of balanced and diversified diplomacy with neutral and European partners.
📄 Official Briefing from the Presidential Office
On July 23, President Lee Jae-myung held his first phone call with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Prime Minister Kristersson congratulated President Lee on his inauguration and expressed hope that the two countries would resume high-level exchanges and maintain close communication under the new administration.
President Lee thanked Prime Minister Kristersson for the congratulatory message and proposed to further strengthen the friendly and cooperative relationship that has steadily developed since diplomatic ties were established in 1959.
Both leaders noted the strong potential for economic cooperation between Korea and Sweden, especially in trade and investment, and agreed to work together to expand collaboration in defense, security, supply chains, and culture.
President Lee highly valued Sweden’s contributions to peace on the Korean Peninsula as a member of the NNSC and agreed with Prime Minister Kristersson to continue close cooperation on Korean Peninsula issues. The leaders also hoped to meet in person in the near future.
July 23, 2025
Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung
🔗 Further Information
This post was written based on information provided by the official website of the President of South Korea.
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