Republic of Korea: the 22nd EU-Republic of Korea Joint Committee takes place in Seoul

The 22^nd meeting of the Joint Committee between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) took place in Seoul on 18 March 2026.

The meeting offered an opportunity to review progress under the EU-ROK Strategic Partnership at a time when the world is facing uncertainty and multiple crises.

The EU and ROK reiterated that the security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific remain interconnected and interdependent. They confirmed continued close coordination on the security situation in the Korean Peninsula, on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as on developments in the Middle East. They reiterated their strong interest to cooperate under the EU-ROK Security and Defence Partnership.

Progress was noted with regard to the implementation of the EU-ROK Free Trade Agreement and the upcoming implementation of the Digital Trade Agreement. The EU and the ROK welcomed the ongoing work under the Digital and Green Partnerships and the first results of the ROK's association to the EU's Horizon Europe programme. On global challenges, the EU and the ROK looked forward to continuing cooperation in the G20 and in the context of G7+.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Park Jonghan, Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr Erik Kurzweil, Managing Director of the Asia and Pacific Department of the European External Action Service.