Lee Jae-myung and Bin Salman Hold Phone Call; Cheong Wa Dae "Thanks for Top-Priority Crude Oil Supply"… Saudi SPA: "South Korean President Condemns Houthi Attacks"

Republic of Korea · Saudi Arabia

On the evening of October 29, President Lee Jae-myung held a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the request of the Saudi side. In a written briefing on the same day, Cheong Wa Dae Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated that President Lee expressed his gratitude that "the Saudi side has continuously cooperated, including giving top priority to supplying crude oil to our country even during the war," and that the two leaders agreed to further solidify substantive cooperation as "future-oriented strategic partners." In a dispatch from Riyadh on the same day, the Saudi state-run news agency SPA reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone with President Lee, and that President Lee condemned "attacks launched by the Houthi militia targeting civilian facilities in the Kingdom." Regarding the same phone call, South Korea highlighted crude oil supplies and the partnership, while Saudi Arabia put forward the condemnation of the Houthi attacks in their respective announcements.

Cheong Wa Dae announced that President Lee expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia's top-priority supply of crude oil

Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung's written briefing on October 29 began by detailing the background of the call. In its opening sentence, the briefing stated, "President Lee Jae-myung held a telephone conversation with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman this evening (October 29, Thursday) at the request of the Saudi side." It continued that President Lee "expressed deep condolences over the damage to civilian and economic facilities as well as casualties suffered by Saudi Arabia due to the Middle East war, conveying our government's position of strong solidarity." President Lee also conveyed his hope that "the continuing instability in the Middle East region will come to an end as soon as possible so that peace and stability may be restored." The third part of the briefing concerned crude oil. According to the briefing, President Lee "expressed gratitude that the Saudi side has continuously cooperated, including giving top priority to supplying crude oil to our country even during the war." However, the briefing did not include specific figures such as supply volumes or timeframes, containing only expressions of gratitude.

The briefing then moved on to the agreements reached by the two leaders. According to Cheong Wa Dae, the two leaders shared the view that they "look forward to further developing bilateral relations to a higher level based on close communication and cooperation even amid the grave security situation of war." In particular, the briefing noted that as "future-oriented strategic partners," the two nations "agreed to further solidify mutually beneficial and substantive cooperation across diverse fields." The final paragraph addressed a commitment to meet. The two leaders agreed to "meet in person at a mutually convenient time in the future to continue in-depth discussions on ways to develop bilateral relations." The briefing was published concurrently on the Cheong Wa Dae website and the government's Policy Briefing portal (korea.kr).

Cheong Wa Dae special delegation announced in April that it received a commitment from Saudi Arabia for top-priority crude oil and naphtha supplies

The phrase 'top-priority crude oil supply' in the Cheong Wa Dae briefing had already appeared in a government announcement in April of this year. Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, serving as the presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, visited Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar from April 7 to 14 and briefed on the outcomes on April 15. Chief of Staff Kang said, "Saudi Arabia is our indisputable number-one source of crude oil imports," adding, "we have annually imported more than 300 million barrels of crude oil from Saudi Arabia, accounting for one-third of our total imports." The special delegation met with Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, chairman of Aramco and governor of the Public Investment Fund (PIF). Kang stated, "The Saudi side promised to supply South Korea on a top-priority basis so that the Republic of Korea would not suffer from shortages of crude oil and naphtha." According to Kang, Saudi Arabia agreed to ship approximately 50 million barrels of crude oil—shipment of which had been uncertain—via alternative ports adjacent to the Red Sea during April and May, and to prioritize allocating and shipping 200 million barrels of crude oil to South Korean companies from June through the end of the year. For naphtha, it agreed to supply as much as possible through the end of the year, including the 500,000 metric tons requested by South Korea.

The follow-up monitoring was handled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. In its June 15 press release, the Ministry stated, "Saudi Arabia, our country's top supplier of crude oil, had promised to supply crude oil and naphtha to South Korea on a top-priority basis during the special delegation's visit in April." Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources Kim Jung-kwan visited Saudi Arabia from June 13 to 14 as a follow-up measure to the presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation's visit to the Middle East in April. According to the Ministry, Minister Kim met with Saudi Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman to review the supply and demand conditions for crude oil and naphtha, and the two agreed to "strive to ensure that the committed volumes are supplied without disruption through the end of the year." The two ministers also signed the "Memorandum of Understanding on Korea-Saudi Cooperation in the Crude Oil and Gas Sector," covering crude oil stockpiling, pipeline infrastructure development, and energy technology innovation. Minister Kim said at the time, "Reconfirming the stable supply of national core resources such as crude oil and naphtha, and laying the foundation for mid- to long-term resource cooperation, were major achievements of this visit to Saudi Arabia."

Supply threats continued thereafter. On September 14, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources convened an "Emergency Review Meeting on Crude Oil Supply and Demand Status," chaired by Vice Minister Moon Shin-hak. According to reference materials from the Ministry, this meeting was held to prepare for a situation where "tensions are escalating around the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea due to ongoing U.S.-Iran skirmishes, Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilities, and their entry into Perim Island, alongside strikes on Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline." At the meeting, the oil refining industry announced that crude oil imported in July–August exceeded 100% compared to the previous year, and more than 90% had been secured for September–October compared to the previous year. The government decided to continuously monitor the resumption status of the Saudi pipeline and support diversions to alternative shipping routes such as the Suez Canal.

Saudi SPA reported that President Lee condemned attacks by Houthi militia

The Arabic statement by Saudi state news agency SPA begins with "Riyadh, Jumada al-Ula 18, 1448 AH, corresponding to October 29, 2026 AD." The statement reported, "His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, held a telephone call today with His Excellency President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea." The statement placed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the subject of the verb "held [the call] (أجرى)," which aligns with the Cheong Wa Dae briefing stating that the call took place at the request of the Saudi side. The second sentence of the statement read, "At the beginning of the call, the Korean President expressed his country's condemnation of the attacks launched by the Houthi militia targeting civilian facilities in the Kingdom." The third sentence stated, "During the call, bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and ways to develop them in various fields were also discussed." The Arabic statement concluded with these three sentences. The dispatch time attached at the end of the statement was 20:18 local Saudi time (2:18 a.m. on October 30, KST).

SPA also issued an English-language statement on the same day. The English headline read, "HRH the Crown Prince, Korean President Discuss Ties; Seoul Condemns Houthi Attacks." The text reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a telephone call on Thursday with President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea, during which President Lee condemned the Houthi militia's attacks on Saudi civilian facilities, and that "both sides also discussed bilateral relations and ways to develop them in various fields." The SPA Royal News account posted the same content on X at 5:18 p.m. on October 29 (GMT, 2:18 a.m. on October 30, KST).

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released the same details. Its Arabic account posted the same phrasing about 20 minutes after SPA's post, while its English account shared SPA's exact English headline at 7:44 p.m. on October 29 (GMT, 4:44 a.m. on October 30, KST).

Statements from both countries described the same phone call in different terms

Placing the two announcements side by side reveals both overlapping elements and areas where they diverge. There are three commonalities: the call took place on October 29; the Saudi side was described as having initiated the call; and both leaders discussed developing bilateral relations. However, they described the damage differently. The Cheong Wa Dae briefing stated that damage to Saudi civilian and economic facilities and casualties occurred "due to the Middle East war," reporting that President Lee conveyed "condolences" and "solidarity." In contrast, the SPA statement named the perpetrator as the "Houthi militia" and recorded President Lee's remarks as "condemnation." Gratitude for the top-priority supply of crude oil, the term "future-oriented strategic partners," and the commitment to meet in person appeared only in the Cheong Wa Dae briefing. The SPA statement consisted solely of the two points: condemnation of the Houthi attacks and discussion of bilateral ties.

Saudi-led coalition announced interception of two ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh on the day of the call

Interceptions continued in Saudi airspace on the day of the call. At 5:37 p.m. on October 29 (GMT, 2:37 a.m. on October 30, KST), SPA's general news account cited an announcement by the Saudi-led coalition, posting that "air defenses intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia toward Riyadh." The same account subsequently posted coalition announcements stating that air defenses intercepted and destroyed one cruise missile launched by the Houthis toward the western region at 10:23 p.m. (GMT) on the same day, and one drone in the Makkah region at 4:00 a.m. (GMT) on October 30.

Announcements by the Saudi government regarding other calls between leaders and ministers on the same day also highlighted condemnations of the Houthi attacks. SPA and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on October 29 that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a call with the Prime Minister of Spain to express condolences for the victims of a train collision, and that the Spanish Prime Minister condemned the attacks by the Houthi militia. In the early morning of October 30 (GMT), announcements were posted on SPA accounts that the Saudi Minister of Defense held successive telephone calls with the defense ministers of Germany, Spain, and Canada, discussing condemnations of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued commentary condemning Houthi attack on Riyadh airport on October 14

The South Korean government's official statement explicitly naming the Houthis had been issued two weeks prior to the call. In a spokesperson's commentary on October 14, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, "The government condemns the recent attacks by the Houthis targeting civilian facilities, including the international airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, which resulted in numerous civilian casualties." The commentary reiterated an immediate call for cessation, stating, "Attacks on civilians and civilian facilities can never be tolerated under any circumstances." The commentary further emphasized that "peace and stability in the Middle East are critically important to the entire international community, including the Republic of Korea, in terms of global supply chains and energy security." It expressed condolences to the victims and bereaved families, wished a speedy recovery to the injured, and extended "deep solidarity" to the Saudi government and people. Both 'solidarity' from the latest Cheong Wa Dae briefing and 'condemnation' from the SPA statement were terms that had already appeared in this commentary.

The two leaders also reaffirmed 'future-oriented strategic partners' during their first phone call in August 2025

This was not the first phone call between President Lee and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In a written briefing on August 13, 2025, the presidential office announced that President Lee had held his "first telephone conversation since taking office" that evening with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. At the time, President Lee thanked King Salman and the Crown Prince for their congratulatory messages on his inauguration and assessed that the two countries were cooperating closely as "future-oriented strategic partners." Noting that cooperation was expanding beyond traditional energy and construction sectors into manufacturing, defense, and high-tech industries, the two leaders agreed to continue strengthening it. President Lee said that South Korea, as a key partner country for "Saudi Vision 2030"—Saudi Arabia's policy for transitioning away from oil and diversifying its economy—hopes to "be a partner moving forward together to strengthen the competitiveness and development of future strategic industries." At that time, too, the two leaders agreed to "meet in person at a mutually convenient time in the future" to continue discussions. The same commitment resurfaced in their second call 14 months later, with the latest briefing changing 'close discussions' to 'in-depth discussions.' Neither country's announcement has yet specified a date or location for an in-person meeting.

Sources (KST)

• Republic of Korea Policy Briefing, "Written Briefing by Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Korea-Saudi Leaders' Telephone Call" (October 29, 2026): https://www.korea.kr/briefing/presidentView.do?newsId=148974592
• Republic of Korea Cheong Wa Dae, "Written Briefing by Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Korea-Saudi Leaders' Telephone Call" (October 29, 2026): https://www.president.go.kr/briefings/JbdsGY9Z
• Republic of Korea Policy Briefing, "Briefing by Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik on Outcomes of Special Envoy Visit for Emergency Economic Response and Strategic Economic Cooperation" (April 15, 2026): https://www.korea.kr/briefing/presidentView.do?newsId=148962742
• Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources Press Release, "Korea and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Partnership in Resources and Industrial Cooperation" (June 15, 2026): https://www.motir.go.kr/kor/article/ATCL3f49a5a8c/171922/view
• Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources Reference Material, "Government Conducts Emergency Review of Crude Oil Supply and Demand Status in Preparation for Middle East Instability" (September 14, 2026): https://www.motir.go.kr/kor/article/ATCL3f49a5a8c/172194/view
• Saudi State News Agency SPA (Arabic), "HRH the Crown Prince Holds Telephone Call with President of the Republic of Korea" (October 29, 2026): https://www.spa.gov.sa/N2713620
• Saudi State News Agency SPA (English), "HRH the Crown Prince, Korean President Discuss Ties; Seoul Condemns Houthi Attacks" (October 29, 2026): https://www.spa.gov.sa/N2713633
• SPA Royal News X Post (@spagov, October 29, 2026, Korea-Saudi leaders' phone call): https://x.com/spagov/status/2115855835146670316
• Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs English X Post (@KSAmofaEN, October 29, 2026, Korea-Saudi leaders' phone call): https://x.com/KSAmofaEN/status/2115892425722040472
• Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Arabic X Post (@KSAMOFA, October 29, 2026, Korea-Saudi leaders' phone call): https://x.com/KSAMOFA/status/2115861441643229213
• SPA General News X Post (@SPAregions, October 29, 2026, Interception of two ballistic missiles targeting Riyadh): https://x.com/SPAregions/status/2115860555529621848
• SPA General News X Post (@SPAregions, October 29, 2026, Interception of cruise missile targeting western region): https://x.com/SPAregions/status/2115932583003328964
• SPA General News X Post (@SPAregions, October 30, 2026, Interception of drone in Makkah region): https://x.com/SPAregions/status/2116017469580013632
• SPA Royal News X Post (@spagov, October 29, 2026, Crown Prince-Spanish Prime Minister phone call): https://x.com/spagov/status/2115872173369733362
• SPA General News X Post (@SPAregions, October 30, 2026, Defense Minister-German Defense Minister phone call): https://x.com/SPAregions/status/2115986447001915556
• SPA General News X Post (@SPAregions, October 30, 2026, Defense Minister-Spanish Defense Minister phone call): https://x.com/SPAregions/status/2115986840985477240
• SPA General News X Post (@SPAregions, October 30, 2026, Defense Minister-Canadian Defense Minister phone call): https://x.com/SPAregions/status/2115985064349577660
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, "MOFA Spokesperson's Commentary on Houthis' Attacks on Civilian Facilities and Civilians in Saudi Arabia" (October 14, 2026): https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/brd/m_5676/view.do?seq=323475
• Republic of Korea Policy Briefing, "Written Briefing by Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Korea-Saudi Leaders' Telephone Call" (August 13, 2025): https://www.korea.kr/briefing/presidentView.do?newsId=148950516