Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Jina held the 9th Korea–Mongolia Joint Committee Meeting on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with Sandag Byambatsogt, Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Government of Mongolia. The two sides reviewed the overall state of bilateral relations and extensively discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in various areas including economic and practical cooperation, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and regional and international issues.

※ The Korea–Mongolia Joint Committee is a regularly convened high-level mechanism for comprehensive consultations. Its first session was held in 2015, the 7th in June 2023 in Ulaanbaatar, and the 8th in November 2024 in Seoul.

The two sides appreciated that Korea and Mongolia, of which this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, have seen a recent expansion of high-level exchanges and progress in bilateral cooperation as strategic partners, including a phone call between their two leaders on September 4. They shared the view that the two countries should continue close communication in order to produce tangible outcomes across various fields.

In the area of economic and practical cooperation, the two sides appreciated the countries moving steadily forward mutually beneficial cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, public health, transport and infrastructure, environment, and development cooperation (official development assistance). Vice Minister Kim emphasized that the Korea–Mongolia Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) would serve as a foundation for stronger economic cooperation across diverse sectors, and requested Mongolia’s continued support in addressing difficulties faced by Korean companies operating in Mongolia.

During the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed the importance of cooperation in mineral resources including rare metals and critical minerals, and agreed to seek tangible results from mutually beneficial cooperation by leveraging Mongolia’s abundant resources and Korea’s refining and processing technologies in a mutually complementary manner. With the opening ceremony of the Korea–Mongolia Critical Minerals Cooperation Center scheduled for late this year, Vice Minister Kim proposed that the two countries continue communication and cooperation so that the Center helps promote practical mineral cooperation including relevant technologies.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture and arts and to promote people-to-people exchanges through enhanced cooperation on visa and consular affairs as well as through Korea’s employment permit system. On a related note, Vice Minister Kim requested that amid the recent increase in the number of Korean visitors to Mongolia, the country pay attention to and support the safety of Korean nationals residing in or visiting Mongolia.

Vice Minister Kim explained the Republic of Korea government’s policy toward North Korea and requested Mongolia’s cooperation in promoting peace and stability in the region. The two sides shared the view on the importance of the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

Later in the day, Vice Minister Kim paid a courtesy call on Batmunkh Battsetseg, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, during which they reaffirmed their commitment to the strategic development of bilateral relations and the expansion of cooperation. They also agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation not only in practical areas but also on global issues through expanded high-level communication.

The 9th Korea–Mongolia Joint Committee Meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to further deepen friendly relations between the two countries and set a clear direction for their cooperation in strategic areas, thereby laying the groundwork for multi-layered bilateral cooperation. Based on the outcomes of the meeting, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will work closely with relevant ministries and institutions to systematically implement follow-up measures.