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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta exchange greetings after delivering a joint press statement following their summit at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2026. /Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung held a summit with visiting Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta on Friday, agreeing to strengthen joint efforts to combat transnational crime and expand cooperation in areas including intellectual property and climate change.

Speaking at a joint press announcement following their summit at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee said, "Today, President Ramos-Horta and I held useful and productive discussions on expanding cooperation between our two countries in a wide range of areas, including diplomacy and security, economic and development cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, building on our deep friendship and mutual trust."

"I am confident that this visit will serve as an important opportunity to mark a new milestone in the development of bilateral relations," Lee said. "South Korea will remain a good friend and reliable partner as Timor-Leste embarks on a new stage of development."

He reiterated that the visit would mark "an important turning point in transforming the special bond between our two countries, forged through peace and democracy, into a partnership for the future."

The two countries agreed to strengthen cooperation against transnational crime and expand cooperation in labor and education.

In particular, the leaders agreed to increase information sharing between their law enforcement authorities following the signing of a Technical Arrangement on Public Security Cooperation during the summit. 

They also agreed to expand practical cooperation in forward-looking areas, including intellectual property and responses to climate change, while strengthening development cooperation to support Timor-Leste's sustainable economic and social development.

"We agreed to pursue the early conclusion of a Framework Agreement on Grant Aid to share our development experience and ensure that our cooperation leads to tangible results," Lee explained.

The two leaders also discussed ways to promote peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, across the region and in the international community.

"I explained our government's firm belief that the surest way to ensure security is to build a peace in which there is no need to fight, and introduced our three-pronged blueprint for peaceful coexistence," Lee said.

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

Lee also recalled the deployment of South Korea's Sangnoksu Unit to Timor-Leste in 1999 to assist with the country's reconstruction, describing it as "a symbol of the special solidarity between our two countries."

Referring to Ramos-Horta's Nobel Peace Prize in 1996, Lee said, "South Korea and Timor-Leste share something special in common: Both countries have safeguarded peace and democracy through the unwavering determination of their peoples, without yielding to historical hardships."

"Coincidentally, our two countries share the same standard time," Lee continued, emphasizing, "Given that we have set an example for the development of democracy in Asia, I would like to say that 'the time of democracy in Asia begins in South Korea and Timor-Leste.'"

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President Lee Jae Myung holds a small-group meeting with visiting Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2026. /Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

                                                                                                              Hong Sun-mi