South Korea and Portugal agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in media, education, sports and other culture-related areas, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The agreement was part of a three-year cultural exchange plan signed at a joint committee meeting in Seoul on Monday between Choi Young-sam, a director of the ministry's bureau in charge of cultural affairs, and Ana Paula Laborinho, head of Portugal's government agency leading international cultural exchanges.

Under the plan, both agreed to intensify exchanges in language, culture, education, science, technology, media, sports and youth.

In education, particularly, they promised to closely work together in expanding support and scholarship for those wanting to study in the other country. Both also promised to expand exchanges of TV content and digital technologies in the media sector.

Seoul and Lisbon have sought close ties in diverse areas since they signed a cultural agreement in 1990. They have held a joint culture committee meeting every three years since the first gathering back in 2010. (Yonhap)