Republic of Korea: 19th Joint Committee with the European Union takes place in Brussels

10.03.2023 EEAS Press Team

EU and the Republic of Korea reinforce their Strategic Partnership to address global security and challenges.

The 19th meeting of the Joint Committee between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Korea (RoK) was held in Brussels on 8 March 2023. It was an opportunity to review progress in areas of bilateral, regional and global cooperation. As this year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the two partners set out the course for deepening and widening cooperation in addressing new and future challenges.

The EU and the RoK condemned Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and underlined their unwavering support for Ukraine. They also discussed how to address the broader security and economic impact of the war in other regions, including in the Indo-Pacific, stressing the importance of upholding the rules-based international order. The EU and the RoK agreed to continue working together to convince the DPRK to cease violations of UN Security Council resolutions and other actions that raise military tensions, resume dialogue and engage in action to abandon its nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. To this end, the EU expressed its support for the objectives set out in the RoK’s Audacious Initiative aimed at achieving a denuclearized, peaceful and prosperous Korean peninsula. The EU reiterated its intention to strengthen its political and security presence in the Indo-Pacific and the two sides looked at potential areas of expanded EU-RoK security cooperation, including in maritime security, cyber security, counter-terrorism and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference.

The EU and the RoK welcomed the progress made on discussing the scope of a comprehensive EU-RoK Green Partnership. Both parties pledged to join forces in strengthening the implementation of the Paris Agreement and keeping the 1,5C goal within reach by urgently scaling up mitigation and implementation in this critical decade, including by working together in the run-up to COP28 in Dubai. Also, in implementing the historical agreements concluded at the CBD COP15, including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as to foster cooperation towards a circular economy and clean energy. The EU and the RoK looked forward to deepening discussion in promoting a global hydrogen economy.

The EU and the RoK expressed satisfaction at the launch of the Digital Partnership in November 2022. They highlighted the importance of implementation on the basis of concrete deliverables and looked forward to the first meeting of the Digital Partnership Council. On research and innovation, both parties applauded the progress made on the exploratory talks for the RoK’s possible association to the EU’s Horizon Europe programme. They also discussed further expanding cooperation related to aviation and maritime transportation. The RoK and the EU looked forward to continuing cooperation in responding to health emergencies, including through research and support to third countries.

On trade and investment, both sides noted that the EU-RoK Free Trade Agreement works well and provides substantial and balanced benefits for both sides. They welcomed progress on some trade concerns.  The EU called upon the Republic of Korea to remove obstacles to imports of EU beef and for ratification of the pending ILO convention 105 on forced labour.

The partners exchanged views on strategies to strengthen the resilience of supply chains and address concerns related to economic security. They reiterated their commitment to the principles of supply chain resilience agreed at the Global Supply Chain Ministerial Meeting in July 2022 including diversification, transparency, security and sustainability. They agreed to continue advancing the international resilience agenda based on a level playing field and a rules-based global framework. The RoK raised a number of questions it had about recent legislative projects including the Critical Raw Material Act (CRMA) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

On global challenges, the partners confirmed their strong commitment to multilateralism, as well as their wish to enhance cooperation in international fora. They looked forward to continuing cooperation in the G20, reaffirming support for language agreed at the Bali Summit. They re-affirmed their commitment to continue working on WTO reform, and shared the priority of restoring a fully functioning dispute settlement system. The two sides looked with satisfaction at their like-minded voting pattern in UN human rights forums. The EU welcomed the RoK’s support for the resolution on the human rights situation in the DPRK to be presented at the upcoming Human Rights Council. The EU and RoK also explored concrete cooperation under the framework of their respective Indo-Pacific Strategies, focusing on green, digital, connectivity and security cooperation, and following up to the EU-Korea Development Dialogue on 27 February in Brussels.

The EU delegation was led by Mr Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the European External Action Service. The Delegation of the Republic of Korea was led by Ms Lee Miyon, Director General for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The next EU-Republic of Korea Joint Committee will take place in 2024 in Seoul.

Nabila Massrali
Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
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+32 (0) 460 79 52 44
Xavier Cifre Quatresols
Press Officer for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
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