S. Korea, Timor-Leste agree to deepen ties

President Lee Jae Myung met with Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta in Seoul on Friday, with the two leaders agreeing to deepen bilateral cooperation in economic development, security and other areas.

The summit at Cheong Wa Dae marked the first official visit by a Timor-Leste president since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 2002.

Welcoming Ramos-Horta, Lee highlighted the two countries' shared experiences of overcoming historical adversity and defending peace and democracy, expressing hope that the visit would mark a new milestone in bilateral relations.

Ramos-Horta, for his part, thanked Lee for the warm welcome and praised South Korea's democratic resilience, particularly the mass protests against former President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law declaration in December 2024.

During a joint press announcement following the summit, Ramos-Horta said the protests, widely referred to as the "Revolution of Light," deserved international recognition. The term refers to the mass demonstrations that erupted following Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, as citizens rallied to defend the country's constitutional order and demand his removal from office.

"The Revolution of Light was deeply meaningful and deserves international recognition," Ramos-Horta said, according to a Korean interpretation of his remarks.

"I will actively nominate the Revolution of Light for the Nobel Peace Prize," he added, praising ordinary South Koreans for their efforts to defend democracy.

Ramos-Horta, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996 for his efforts toward Timor-Leste's independence, is eligible to nominate candidates under the Norwegian Nobel Committee's rules, which allow former laureates and incumbent heads of state to submit nominations.

Lee welcomed the proposal, describing South Korea's democratic recovery as a historic achievement.

"Given that President Ramos-Horta, a Nobel laureate himself, has offered to nominate the Korean people who achieved the Revolution of Light, I believe there is a very good chance they will actually receive the prize," Lee said.

Ramos-Horta also thanked Seoul for deploying the Sangnoksu, or Evergreen Unit, to Timor-Leste in 1999 as part of international peacekeeping efforts, describing South Korea as one of his country's most important partners.

He invited Lee to visit Timor-Leste, saying such a trip would be the first by a South Korean president. Lee said he would make every effort to accept the invitation.

During the summit, the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in intellectual property protection, climate change, development assistance and law enforcement.

The countries pledged to pursue agreements on climate cooperation and grant aid, while expanding information sharing to combat transnational crime.

They also agreed to deepen labor cooperation through South Korea's Employment Permit System, improve protections for Timorese workers and expand Korean language education.

The leaders further agreed to establish regular diplomatic consultations and strengthen cooperation within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including support for Timor-Leste's ASEAN chairmanship in 2029.

On regional security, Lee outlined his administration's approach to peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation.

"President Ramos-Horta expressed his full support for our government's efforts to bring peace and stability to the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation," Lee said.