"Korea-Mexico Trade Agreement Needed" ... Also Attends K-Pop Concert Together

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung, currently on a state visit to Mexico, has virtually formalized the push for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between South Korea and Mexico. He also visited the venue of a K-pop concert held in Mexico, the largest market for K-content in Latin America.

Kang Min-u reports from Mexico City.

[Reporter]

At a business forum attended by business leaders from South Korea and Mexico, President Lee Jae-myung highlighted that the two nations are engaging in remarkable cooperation in sectors such as the cultural industry and high-tech industries, mentioning the necessity of a "trade agreement."

[President Lee Jae-myung: "Despite these remarkable cooperative achievements, economic relations between our two countries have not yet progressed toward a comprehensive trade agreement. I hope both governments will promptly resume related discussions..."]

A Cheong Wa Dae official stated that the "trade agreement" mentioned by President Lee refers to a CEPA, or Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, adding that the two countries have agreed to jointly study the effects of the agreement.

At the "K-Expo" event, in which South Korean business leaders also took part, tariff barriers were cited as a recent difficulty.

[Kim Seung-hwan / CEO of Amorepacific: "(Tariffs) have gone up by around 10% or more. Our competing companies are mostly from the United States, Japan, and Europe, but those countries happen to have FTAs, so..."]

With President Lee's visit to Mexico serving as an impetus, expectations are growing that moves to pursue a trade agreement covering trade, investment, supply chains, and tariffs will begin in earnest.

President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung met with Mexican youths who love K-pop and emphasized the importance of cultural exchanges.

[President Lee Jae-myung: "Culture really seems to connect not only person to person, but also nation to nation."]

Holding light sticks together, they also briefly watched a performance by the K-pop idol group Stray Kids.

["Corea! Corea!"]

Having concluded his seven-day, five-night tour of the United States and Mexico on the occasion of the UN General Assembly, President Lee Jae-myung will head back home tomorrow (September 27) via Anchorage, Alaska.

(Camera by Jeong Sang-bo | Video by Won Hyeong-hee | Graphics by Kim Han-gil)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.