Business · Trade · 3 hrs ago
Türkiye and South Korea seek to deepen economic ties
Türkiye and South Korea want to expand cooperation in trade, tourism, investment and defense.
Their goal is to raise annual bilateral trade to $15 billion.
The countries already have a free trade agreement, introduced in stages in 2013 and 2018.
Trade reached $11.4 billion in 2025 and $8.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026.
Türkiye's exports to South Korea were $920.3 million in that period, led by pharmaceutical products.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to visit South Korea later this month to discuss cooperation in areas including energy, transportation and technology.
Türkiye and South Korea are seeking to deepen cooperation in trade, tourism, investment and defense.
The countries aim to increase bilateral trade to $15 billion.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to visit South Korea later in November 2026.
Bilateral trade totaled $11.4 billion in 2025 and reached $8.7 billion in the first nine months of 2026.
South Korean arrivals in Türkiye rose 9.4 percent to 226,434 in 2025.
- Who
- Türkiye and South Korea.
- What
- They are seeking to deepen economic cooperation and increase bilateral trade to $15 billion.
- When
- Erdoğan is expected to visit South Korea later in November 2026.
- Where
- Türkiye and South Korea.
- Why
- Türkiye is pursuing stronger economic ties with priority markets through its Distant Countries Strategy.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The framework and goods trade agreements between Türkiye and South Korea took effect.
The services trade and investment agreements took effect.
Bilateral trade totaled $11.4 billion, and South Korean visitors to Türkiye numbered 226,434.
Bilateral trade reached $8.7 billion, while 133,604 South Koreans visited Türkiye.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to visit South Korea.
- Trade target
- $15 billion
- Bilateral trade, 2025
- $11.4 billion
- Bilateral trade, January-September 2026
- $8.7 billion
- South Korean visitors to Türkiye, 2025
- 226,434
- South Korean visitors to Türkiye, January-September 2026
- 133,604