Seoul expands outreach to Latin America as it looks to secure crude beyond Middle East routes disrupted by conflict

South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun held separate phone calls this week with his Brazilian and Mexican counterparts, discussing ways to expand energy and supply chain cooperation as Seoul seeks to mitigate risks stemming from disruptions in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. In a call on Wednesday with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Cho highlighted ongoing global supply chain instability driven by the Middle East situation and expressed hope for closer cooperation with Brazil, a major oil producer, in energy security and supply chains.

In a separate call on Thursday with newly appointed Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco, Cho congratulated him on his appointment and emphasized the need to strengthen economic ties, including resuming free trade agreement negotiations and revising investment frameworks. Cho also requested Mexico’s cooperation in ensuring stable crude oil imports for South Korean companies, while both sides agreed to expand cooperation into advanced technology sectors such as artificial intelligence and space, and to coordinate on global issues through multilateral platforms.

South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun held separate phone calls this week with his Brazilian and Mexican counterparts, discussing ways to expand energy and supply chain cooperation as Seoul seeks to mitigate risks stemming from disruptions in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said on Thursday. In a call on Wednesday with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Cho highlighted ongoing global supply chain instability driven by the Middle East situation and expressed hope for closer cooperation with Brazil, a major oil producer, in energy security and supply chains.

In a separate call on Thursday with newly appointed Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco, Cho congratulated him on his appointment and emphasized the need to strengthen economic ties, including resuming free trade agreement negotiations and revising investment frameworks. Cho also requested Mexico’s cooperation in ensuring stable crude oil imports for South Korean companies, while both sides agreed to expand cooperation into advanced technology sectors such as artificial intelligence and space, and to coordinate on global issues through multilateral platforms.

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