Brazil and South Korea signed new cooperation agreements in trade, technology and investments this Tuesday (28) during the Brazil-Korea Business Roundtable, in São Paulo. "Getting closer is not a convenient option, it is a strategic necessity", stated the vice-president of the Republic, Geraldo Alckmin. "This could be the moment when our two countries, using the metaphor of our space cooperation, can take off and aim for higher goals," Alckmin said. The initiative, organized by ApexBrasil and the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI), is part of the agenda of the official visit of the South Korean president, Lee Jae Myung, and seeks to deepen the economic partnership between the two countries. In 2025, bilateral trade reached US$10.8 billion, while South Korean investments in Brazil total US$8.9 billion. "We can target almost doubling that," said Alckmin. The event was also attended by the Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Márcio Elias Rosa, as well as representatives of the two governments and businesspeople from the automotive, technology, health, food and heavy industry sectors. At the opening of the meeting, Alckmin highlighted that the seven memoranda signed on Monday (27), in Brasília, in the areas of critical minerals, education, audiovisual, sports, energy, industrial technology, space activities and network security represent an opportunity to expand cooperation between the two countries. The vice president also mentioned the health visit required by South Korea to meat producers in Brazil. "Brazil has the largest commercial herd in the world, with high sustainability and sanitary rigor. We are very optimistic about the sanitary visit now in August", he said. Korea in Brazil Regarding the negotiations between Mercosur and South Korea, Alckmin said that the two parties intend to intensify the dialogue and informed that Brazil has started internal consultations on the topic. The vice president also defended the strengthening of cooperation in infrastructure, technology and critical minerals. According to him, Brazil wants to stop just exporting raw materials and move towards a partnership based on industrialization, technology transfer and shared engineering. "We don't just want to export raw ore. We want to process, industrialize and invest together along the chain," he stated. Alckmin also highlighted Brazil's potential to receive investments in artificial intelligence and data centers, citing the predominantly renewable electrical matrix, water availability and regulatory stability as competitive advantages. In the aerospace area, Alckmin recalled that South Korea was the first Asian country to acquire the KC-390 freighter, from Embraer, and mentioned the launch of a South Korean rocket scheduled for September, from the Alcântara Space Center. 40% of the coffee consumed in Korea is Brazilian. The president of ApexBrasil, Laudemir Müller, stated that the international scenario requires predictability for the advancement of trade relations and defended the strengthening of the partnership between Brazil and South Korea. "We increasingly see a scenario of fragmentation. What we need is stability, confidence and growth", he said. Korea imports around US$600 billion per year, but Brazil accounts for approximately 1% of this market, which, according to Müller, demonstrates the growth potential of Brazilian participation. He highlighted that there is room to expand cooperation in various sectors, such as animal proteins, fruits, coffee, biofuels, aeronautics, defense, mining, critical minerals, pharmaceutical and chemical industries and technology. Commenting on the coffee trade, Müller stated that around 40% of the coffee consumed in South Korea is the special type and produced in Brazil. He highlighted that the Asian country is one of the largest per capita consumers of the drink. "The Korean government can continue to count on the Brazilian Export Promotion Agency in this very important relationship with Brazilian companies and the private sector", he concluded. Brazil, such as Samsung, LG and Posco, and highlighted the investments and job creation in the country. He also mentioned the existing partnerships in the oil, defense and shipbuilding sectors, in addition to the cooperation between Embraer and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). which, according to the minister, was presented as a concern of the South Korean delegation. During the speech, Elias Rosa also highlighted opportunities for cooperation in decarbonization, biofuels and agribusiness. He cited initiatives from companies in the animal protein sector and highlighted that ethanol, bioethanol and biogas combine economic competitiveness and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. greenhouse, in addition to a lower cost when associated with fossil fuels", he stated. The minister also pointed out the potential to expand integration in the cosmetics sector. According to him, the Brazilian industry still exports little to South Korea, despite the relevance of the country's market, which opens space for a greater partnership between the two countries. Partnership is not retaliation against the USA Asked whether the trade relationship with South Korea was influenced by the tariffs announced by the United States, Alckmin replied that the topic was not discussed during the meeting