Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a bilateral meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
As reported by news agency ANI, PM Modi and South Korean President were also seen planting a tree during their meeting. Earlier in the day, South Korean President Lee was accompanied by his wife, Kim Hea-kyung, while paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in the national capital.
During the visit, the President and the First Lady also laid a wreath at the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi. Preceding the visit to Rajghat, the South Korean leader was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt, marking a significant start to the second day of his high-profile state visit to India.
South Korean President welcomed by Droupadi Murmu and PM Modi
Lee Jae Myung was received by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the reception featuring a vibrant display of welcome by children dressed in traditional attire, waving the national flags of both India and South Korea, as per ANI.
Honoured to call on President @Jaemyung_Lee of the Republic of Korea as he begins his State Visit to India.
Value his commitment to deepen India – Korea relations across multiple domains.
Confident that his talks tomorrow with PM @narendramodi will further strengthen our… pic.twitter.com/xeiSRw2rud
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 19, 2026
The South Korean President accompanied by First Lady Kim Hea-kyung, arrived in the national capital on Sunday for a three-day official tour. They were received at the airport by Union Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Harsh Malhotra.
Highlighting the diplomatic significance of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) observed that Lee Jae Myung’s visit to India represents an “important milestone” in advancing the “Special Strategic Partnership” between the two countries.
While taking it to social media, the MEA stated, “President Lee was received by Shri Harsh Malhotra, MoS, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The visit marks an important milestone in advancing the India-South Korea Special Strategic Partnership.”
Lee while talking to the media on Monday, said, “Both the Republic of Korea and India depend on the Middle East for a significant share of their energy supplies, including crude oil and natural gas. Accordingly, ensuring the security of critical maritime routes is essential to the safety of our peoples and the very survival of our nations,” as per ANI.
Lee and PM Modi to hold a bilateral summit in New Delhi
Later today, Lee and PM Modi are set to hold a bilateral summit, which would mark their third in-person meeting since Lee took office last year, as per ANI.
As part of efforts to reduce heavy dependence on imported energy and raw materials, Lee expressed hope to expand cooperation in critical mineral supply chains. “By moving beyond the traditional model of importing raw material and combining Korea`s technology with India`s mining and refining industries, we can work together to establish stable critical mineral supply chains,” the South Korean President said while speaking to the media in New Delhi.
Lee Jae Myung’s visit to India follows a year of sustained high-level contact, building on two previous meetings between PM Modi and President Lee in 2025, held on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg and the G7 Summit in Canada.
(With inputs from ANI)