Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will visit South Korea from January 17 to 19 for a summit with President Lee Jae Myung, marking the first Italian state visit to Korea in 19 years.

The discussions will cover strengthened cooperation in trade and investment, artificial intelligence, defense, and semiconductors, with a focus on expanding bilateral ties and people-to-people exchanges.

The visit is at the invitation of President Lee Jae Myung and aims to deepen security and broader regional collaboration between Italy and South Korea.

The Blue House announced the schedule on Friday, with reporting credited to Liza Shireen Koshy.

Officials say the talks will address shared global and regional interests to reinforce the bilateral relationship.

Central themes include bilateral cooperation across sectors and increased people-to-people exchanges.

The Reuters report attributes the information to South Korea's presidential office.

Separately, Italy and Japan are set to discuss expanding security cooperation and other collaborations during upcoming talks, signaling broader regional alignment.

Japan publicly highlighted the itinerary and its significance, underscoring efforts to bolster security and cooperation with Italy.

talks are expected to cover strengthening bilateral cooperation and addressing a range of international issues between South Korea and Italy.

This will be Meloni’s first face-to-face meeting with Takaichi, with emphasis on expanding bilateral relations and security cooperation.

Meanwhile, President Lee plans a two-day visit to Japan’s Nara prefecture for summit talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, signaling a broader regional outreach.