South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak, right, and visiting Indian President Pratibha Patil pose for the media before their talk at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, July 25, 2011. — Photo by AP

SEOUL: South Korea and India signed an agreement Monday to cooperate in nuclear power, providing a legal basis for the South's future participation in atomic plant projects in India.

The agreement was signed after a summit between President Lee Myung-Bak and his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil, Lee's office said in a statement.

South Korea operates 20 nuclear plants that generate some 35 per cent of its electricity needs, and is eager to export its expertise as a new growth engine for the economy.

The Fukushima crisis in Japan has sparked a renewed global debate about the safety of nuclear power but South Korea has vowed to stick to its development programme.

The president's office said Lee also called for the early construction of a steel plant planned by South Korean steel giant Posco in the Indian state of Orissa.

India gave Posco final clearance in May. But the state last month temporarily halted land acquisition for the plant after protests by locals and rights groups.