Korea and Brazil Adopt "Four-Year Action Plan," Share View on Need to Resume Trade Agreement
by Lim Chulyoung
Published 23 Feb.2026 17:27(KST)
Updated 24 Feb.2026 07:07(KST)
Adopted at the Korea-Brazil summit
Upgraded to a "strategic partnership" after 67 years
Korean technical inspection team to be dispatched for Brazilian beef market access
Expanded trade through cooperation on critical minerals, AI, supply chains, and SPS
On the 23rd, President Lee Jaemyung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva held a summit at the Blue House, where they agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a "strategic partnership" and adopted a "Four-Year Action Plan" for 2026-2029 to implement the strategic partnership.
The action plan adopted this time is composed of five areas: political dialogue and people-to-people exchanges; economy, finance, trade, and investment; energy, environment, and decarbonization; science, technology, and innovation; and culture and education cooperation. The document reaffirms the principles of the United Nations (UN) Charter, respect for international law, the protection of human rights, and the importance of democracy, and sets out a direction to expand cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral fora. The action plan is a non-legally binding document that does not create legal obligations and will be implemented within the scope of available financial and human resources in accordance with each country's domestic laws and regulations.
Annual vice-ministerial consultative body and youth working holiday... Institutionalizing political and people-to-people exchanges
In the political field, the plan includes holding the "Korea-Brazil High-Level Policy Consultation" at the vice foreign minister level on an annual basis, expanding dialogue between policy planning departments, and promoting exchanges among lawmakers, including parliamentary friendship groups. It also identifies as cooperation tasks the revitalization of cooperation on diplomatic training programs and the promotion of youth participation in working holiday schemes based on the memorandum of understanding to be concluded in 2025.
The plan also calls for expanding technical cooperation on eradicating hunger and poverty and on food and nutrition security, as well as strengthening coordination in international platforms such as the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) and the Busan Global Partnership Forum for effective development cooperation.
Conclusion of a "trade and production integration agreement"... Cooperation on critical minerals, AI, supply chains, and SPS
In the economic and trade field, the two sides agreed, on the occasion of the summit, to conclude a "trade and production integration agreement" and to pursue the deepening of cooperation in the digital economy, including industry, agriculture, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI); to strengthen supply chain resilience by systematically identifying key items; to enhance the transparency and efficiency of regulatory procedures; and to expand trade by strengthening cooperation on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and agriculture.
The action plan includes tasks such as: cooperation on circular economy and greenhouse gas reduction technologies; support for small and medium-sized enterprises in using digital tools; expansion of cooperation in health care, including the defense industry and medical devices; revitalization of tourism exchanges (including establishing dialogue between the Korea Tourism Organization and the Brazilian tourism authorities); and cooperation in media- and streaming-based creative industries, including dramas, music, films, and games.
In the agriculture and food security field, the plan calls for strengthening cooperation on smart farms and SPS, developing stable agricultural supply chains, and cooperating to simplify procedures for pesticide registration and licensing. In particular, with regard to market access for Brazilian beef, the document specifies the mutual understanding on promptly implementing the steps needed to advance the risk assessment procedures, starting with the dispatch of a Korean technical inspection team. It also states that efforts will continue to expand market access for Brazilian pork from Santa Catarina State to other regions.
In addition, recognizing the need to resume negotiations on a trade agreement between Korea and the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), the plan identifies as a task the discussion of and promotion of cooperation on potential barriers such as sustainability standards, carbon accounting methodologies, certification systems, and regulatory transparency.
Climate partnership, biofuel, and hydrogen... Sharing experience on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement
In the energy, environment, and decarbonization field, the plan proposes establishing a structured partnership for climate action; laying the groundwork for consultations on the joint exploration, development, and processing of strategic minerals; cooperation on the bioeconomy; and expanding cooperation on sustainable fuels such as biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and hydrogen.
It also includes cooperation on industrial decarbonization; low-carbon shipping alternatives and sustainable marine fuels; and climate response using AI and digital public infrastructure. In addition, it specifies sharing experiences related to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including the use of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs); strengthening mitigation actions through forest restoration and coastal and marine ecosystem management; exchanging views on green finance; and exploring innovative financing models such as a "Tropical Rainforest Permanent Fund" (tentative name).
Joint science and technology committee every two years... Sirius synchrotron, space cooperation, and bio partnership
In the science, technology, and innovation field, the two sides agreed to work toward holding a joint science and technology committee meeting in 2026 and follow-up meetings every two years thereafter. The plan encourages joint research using Brazil's advanced research infrastructure, such as the Sirius synchrotron light source, and calls for expanding cooperation focused on clean technologies and sustainable industrial processes; enhancing dialogue between space and aerospace-related institutions and expanding private-sector cooperation; and discussing partnerships in the pharmaceutical, bio, and cosmetics industries and regulatory harmonization.
In the culture and education field, the plan includes encouraging participation in each other's cultural events; supporting the spread of Korean and Portuguese language education; cooperation between museums and national archives; and cooperation on responding to the climate crisis and protecting cultural heritage. It also includes cooperation on joint production of video and music content; discussions on a protocol for cooperation in the gaming sector; and discussions on copyrights and related rights in digital environments, including AI. Along with expanding student exchanges and scholarship programs, the two sides will pursue education cooperation focused on digital transformation, including national education information systems, digital learning platforms, and educational artificial intelligence (AI).
Based on this four-year action plan, the two leaders signed 10 documents listed in the annex at the memorandum of understanding (MOU) and agreement signing ceremony held at the main building of the Blue House on the same day. These documents include the trade and production integration agreement; an MOU on economic and financial dialogue; MOUs on cooperation in science and technology, agriculture, and health; an MOU on cooperation in small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurship; an MOU on regulatory cooperation related to health products; a cooperation document between the Rural Development Administration (RDA) and Brazilian institutions; and an MOU on police cooperation.
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