South Korea’s Yoon Suk-yeol embarks on first Singapore visit since taking office

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will travel to Singapore for a three-day state visit beginning October 7 at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

This will be his first visit to the Republic since taking office in 2022.

According to a statement released on October 6 by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the tour confirms the two nations’ outstanding relations. In the years leading up to the 50th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations in 2025, it also enables both parties to talk about how to strengthen their relationship.

Yoon, 63, is scheduled to receive a formal welcome at Parliament House on October 8. He will pay a courtesy call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who will also organise a state dinner in his honour in the evening, according to the MFA statement.

Yoon will be accompanied by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, prominent government officials, and business leaders. She will also meet Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and be invited to lunch.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong will also meet Yoon, marking their third meeting so far.

PM Wong and President Yoon will be present for the signing of many memorandums of understanding to strengthen collaboration in commerce, start-ups, energy, food safety, and technology, as well as the extradition treaty.

President Yoon and his spouse are scheduled to visit the Singapore Botanic Gardens on October 8th, during which time an orchid will bear their names.

Following that, he will give the keynote address at the Singapore-Korea Business Forum, which is being held by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Singapore Business Federation.

The 47th Singapore Lecture, “A Vision for Korean Unification Towards a Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region,” will be given by President Yoon on October 9. Teo Chee Hean, a senior minister and the Coordinating Minister for National Security, will serve as its chair.

The visit is part of President Yoon’s Southeast Asia tour, which aims to strengthen regional ties. He landed in Manila on October 6 for a two-day state visit that will include a summit with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

From Singapore, President Yoon will travel to Laos to attend ASEAN summits.

In a briefing on October 3, South Korea’s principal deputy national security adviser Kim Tae-hyo said “We decided to form a comprehensive strategic partnership with ASEAN at this year’s summit to upgrade ties to the highest level. This upgrade is proof that Korea-ASEAN ties have reached their best status in 14 years since the launch of their strategic partnership.”

According to South Korean media reports, President Yoon will attend the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, where he is anticipated to propose ways to strengthen collaboration between ASEAN, South Korea, Japan, and China.

President Yoon’s visit coincides with the South Korean Embassy in Singapore releasing its first public impression study on South Korea.

The survey, which garnered 1,000 online responses in July, was designed to generate suggestions for improving understanding and exchanges between the peoples of both countries, according to an embassy press statement dated October 2.

According to the survey, two out of every three Singaporeans, or 66 percent, have a positive impression of South Korea, with the Korean Wave being the most common reason.