UNJournal Kayla Lee |  President Lee Jae-myung extended the highest level of diplomatic honors to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva during his state visit to Korea on February 23, with Cheong Wa Dae describing the reception as a reflection of "President Lula and First Lady Janja Lula da Silva's personal tastes and Korea’s deep respect for the Brazilian people and their culture."

President Lula arrived the previous day and held a summit with President Lee at Cheong Wa Dae that morning. Upon arrival, President Lula and his wife were escorted by a 70-member marching band and traditional honor guard, and greeted by a 280-member welcoming line. A delegation of 25 children also participated as a symbol of the two nations’ friendship.

Cheong Wa Dae noted that the ceremony matched the scale of the state welcome given to U.S. President Donald Trump during his November 2017 visit to Korea.

Before the formal ceremony, the two leaders greeted each other with an embrace, signaling a notably warm personal rapport. When Lula signed the guest book afterward, President Lee applauded and remarked, "That's a work of art," drawing laughter and easing the atmosphere.

The two presidents share strikingly similar backgrounds: both rose from poverty and factory work to lead their nations—a bond Cheong Wa Dae described as lending special meaning to the occasion.

President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung both wore attire evoking the Brazilian flag. President Lee wore a navy suit with a gold tie representing Brazil's national colors, while the First Lady’s hanbok combined green and yellow, conveying a visual message of welcome.

The gifts were similarly tailored to President Lula's background and preferences. In recognition of his roots as a labor activist, the Korean side prepared a biography of labor martyr Jeon Tae-il. Drawing on President Lula's well-known love of football and Korean beauty products, he was also given a Korean national team football jersey and men's cosmetics.

In addition, the Brazilian president received a traditional tiger-and-magpie folk painting. Cheong Wa Dae noted that such paintings have traditionally been placed in Korean homes to ward off evil spirits and invite good fortune, and described the gift as transcending a mere wish for personal health and longevity. The painting, the statement read, was meant to bring renewed hope and prosperity to bilateral relations.

First Lady Janja Lula received a personalized Samsung smartphone, beauty devices, and a traditional Korean costume for her pet dog—a horsehair gat (hat) and hanbok cape.

When Lula arrived at his accommodations the previous evening, he was greeted with a cake, decorated in Brazil's signature green, yellow, and blue with a portrait-like depiction of the couple and "Always Together" inscribed in Portuguese.

"We aimed to express respect and friendship down to the smallest detail," Cheong Wa Dae said, adding that “This state visit will serve as an opportunity to elevate Korea-Brazil relations to the next level.”

The summit was expected to cover a broad agenda, including economic and trade cooperation, climate change response, Global South solidarity, and expanded cultural exchange. The shared narrative of "labor and self-reliance" running through both leaders' lives was seen as carrying its own symbolic diplomatic message.