Lula responds to Lee's congratulations on 4th presidential win
Summary
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked President Lee Jae Myung on Monday for congratulating him on winning a fourth presidential term in Brazil. Lula said the leaders share goals including workers’ rights, social justice and environmental protection, and expressed hope they would meet again soon. Lula defeated Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s runoff, winning 51.75 percent of the vote to Bolsonaro’s 48.25 percent. The two presidents have met five times since Lee took office and developed a close relationship through shared experiences as child factory workers.
Key Facts
- Lee congratulated Lula on X in Korean and Portuguese and said he hoped Lula would continue to play an important role with the trust of Brazilian voters.
- Lee suffered a permanent arm disability after a factory accident as a young worker, while Lula lost the little finger on his left hand in a metalworking accident at age 19.
- During Lula’s state visit to Seoul in February, Lee shared an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting their younger selves as factory workers.
- Korea and Brazil upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership during Lula’s February visit to Seoul.
- During Lee’s state visit to Brazil in July, the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in areas including critical minerals and industries.
President Lee Jae Myung, on a state visit to Brazil, makes a finger heart with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Brasilia, July 27. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seog
Two former child factory workers who rose to become presidents exchanged warm messages following Brazil’s presidential election.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanked President Lee Jae Myung on Monday (local time) for congratulating him on his election victory, saying the two leaders share goals ranging from workers’ rights to environmental protection.
“My dear friend President Lee Jae Myung, I sincerely thank you for your message,” Lula wrote in Portuguese on X, formerly Twitter, in response to Lee’s post a day earlier.
“We will continue defending dialogue between nations, social justice, workers’ rights and environmental protection,” he wrote. “The future we want to build must offer dignity and opportunities to everyone.”
He added, “I know these are goals we share. I hope we meet again soon.”
Lee congratulated Lula on Monday after the Brazilian leader won a runoff election Sunday, securing an unprecedented fourth presidential term.
“My dear friend and comrade President Lula, I couldn’t be happier to congratulate you on your election victory,” Lee wrote on X in Korean and Portuguese.
Lee said he hoped Lula would continue to play an important role with the trust of Brazilian voters and looked forward to seeing him again.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva thanks President Lee Jae Myung for congratulating him on his election victory in a post on X, Monday (local time). Captured from X
Lula defeated Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, with 51.75 percent of the vote against 48.25 percent, according to the reported official results.
The two presidents have developed a close relationship since their first meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada in June 2025, shortly after Lee took office. They reportedly discussed workers’ rights, drawing on their similar backgrounds.
Both grew up in poverty and began working in factories as children, and both suffered serious workplace injuries.
Lee injured his arm in a factory accident as a young worker, leaving him with a permanent disability. Lula lost the little finger on his left hand in an accident while employed as a metalworker at 19.
During Lula’s state visit to Seoul in February, Lee shared an artificial intelligence-generated video depicting their younger selves as factory workers.
The two leaders have met five times since Lee took office, including at international summits and during reciprocal state visits this year.
During Lula’s February visit, Korea and Brazil upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership. Lee then traveled to Brazil on a state visit in July, when the two countries agreed to expand cooperation in areas including critical minerals and industries.
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