Lee Jae-myung and Lawrence Wong to hold summit on AI and nuclear energy cooperation

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong held summit talks at Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters on Monday, 2 March 2026, as part of Lee's state visit to Singapore. The two leaders held a joint press conference following the summit.

Korean Peninsula and Singapore's diplomatic role

At the joint press conference, Lee said, "Singapore is a meaningful place where the historic US-North Korea summit was held in 2018," and expressed gratitude to Wong "for actively supporting our government's efforts for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue."

Lee added, "Eight years ago, Singapore demonstrated exceptional diplomatic prowess toward peace through leadership in dialogue and communication," and said he believed Singapore "will continue to play a constructive role for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the region."

Middle East situation discussed

Lee also stated that the two leaders discussed the recent situation in the Middle East. "We shared the assessment of the impact of the Middle East situation on global security, energy supply chains, and the world economy, and agreed on the hope for the restoration of stability and peace in the Middle East," he said.

Free trade agreement upgrade

The two governments announced a joint declaration agreeing to commence negotiations to upgrade the Korea-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force in 2006 and currently covers goods and services.

The upgrade aims to advance cooperation across four areas: supply chains, the green economy, trade facilitation, and aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

The agreement is also expected to modernise regulations reflecting changes in the trade environment and expand market access in ASEAN.

Five MOUs signed

According to the Chosun Ilbo, the two countries signed five MOUs across advanced industrial sectors on the occasion of the summit.

Science and technology cooperation

The two governments signed an MOU on science and technology cooperation, agreeing to strengthen policy sharing and personnel exchanges in key fields including quantum technology, small modular reactors (SMRs), and space and satellite technology. A Science and Technology Joint Committee led by vice-premier-level officials is planned to oversee cooperation in these areas.

AI and digital technology

An MOU was signed to share AI policies and knowledge in the public safety sector and to support companies in related industries. The two countries' intellectual property agencies also agreed to collaborate on transitioning administrative services using AI and on improving intellectual property protection systems.

Small modular reactors

Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Singapore's Energy Market Authority signed an SMR cooperation MOU focusing on the joint development of small modular reactor (i-SMR) business models, workforce training, and information sharing.

Environment and satellite data

The National Institute of Environmental Research renewed an MOU with Singapore's National Environment Agency to continue joint research on environmental satellite data sharing and air quality studies.

AI Connect Summit

As part of the visit, Lee attended the AI Connect Summit, a bilateral business forum involving entrepreneurs and business leaders in the AI sector. According to the presidential briefing, South Korea has strengths in semiconductors, data centre infrastructure, and manufacturing AI, while Singapore has advanced AI governance and regulation and serves as a hub for AI data in Southeast Asia.

Official welcome and orchid naming ceremony

Ahead of the summit, Lee was welcomed by Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the country's ceremonial head of state, at an official ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters. Lee and first lady Kim Hea-kyung attended a naming ceremony for an orchid hybrid designated "Vanda Lee Jae-myung Kim Hea-kyung," named after the couple in honour of the state visit.

Singapore's position on nuclear energy

Singapore has stated that it has not made a decision to deploy nuclear energy.

In his Budget speech on 18 February 2025, Prime Minister Wong said the government would study the potential deployment of nuclear power and build national capabilities to evaluate its options "in a safe and cost-effective way."

In a separate written parliamentary reply on 4 February 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong described advanced nuclear as a potential "cost-competitive option in the long run," alongside hydrogen and advanced geothermal energy.

Singapore's Energy Market Authority, one of the signatories to the SMR cooperation MOU signed on 2 March, is the same body tasked with building the country's nuclear assessment capabilities.

The government has previously stated that any decision to deploy nuclear energy would need to be considered against its safety, reliability, affordability, and environmental sustainability in Singapore's context.