Government of Timor-Leste

On June 29^th, 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, held a bilateral meeting in Seoul with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, Cho Hyun, marking the first official visit by a Timorese Minister of Foreign Affairs to the Republic of Korea since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2002. The meeting strengthened political dialogue and deepened bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. 

During the meeting, the two ministers reaffirmed the excellent relations between Timor-Leste and the Republic of Korea and explored opportunities to strengthen cooperation across labour mobility, trade and investment, energy, green industry, education, human resources development, public safety, maritime safety, combating transnational crime, and people-to-people exchanges.

Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas highlighted the potential of Timor-Leste’s young population as one of the country’s greatest strategic assets and expressed the Government’s interest in gaining a deeper understanding of the Republic of Korea’s successful development experience, particularly how it has capitalised on its demographic dividend.

The two ministers also discussed strengthening cooperation between the Republic of Korea and ASEAN following Timor-Leste’s accession as the organisation’s 11th member state in 2025. In this context, they explored ways to support Timor-Leste’s preparations to assume the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2029. They discussed Timor-Leste’s contribution to deepening relations between the Republic of Korea and Southeast Asia.

The ministers also exchanged views on regional and international issues, reiterating their shared commitment to peace, stability, multilateralism, and respect for the rules-based international order.

At the end of the meeting, both expressed confidence that the discussions would deepen the partnership between Timor-Leste and the Republic of Korea, strengthening bilateral cooperation for the benefit of both countries and the region’s prosperity, security, and sustainable development.