European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung celebrated the signing of a new digital trade agreement during a ceremony in Brussels on Wednesday.
The gathering represented the EU‑South Korea summit’s eleventh meeting, covering issues ranging from security and defence to trade.
Von der Leyen noted that Korea is one of Europe’s closest partners in the Indo‑Pacific region and on the global stage, adding that in today’s uncertain world, stable and trusted partnerships such as this are more valuable than ever.
The three leaders issued a joint statement praising the discussions and reaffirming their commitment to a firm, friendly partnership.
The statement reaffirms a shared commitment to effective multilateralism and a stable, predictable, rules‑based, free and fair economic order.
The semiconductor factor
Both parties seek to diversify their trade relationships amid rising tensions with China and the United States, and the EU‑South Korea digital trade agreement follows a landmark free trade deal signed more than a decade ago.
Since 2015, EU‑South Korea trade has doubled, reaching roughly €124.25 billion in goods in 2025, according to European Commission figures.
European Council President Antonio Costa said on Wednesday that the EU‑Korea Free Trade Agreement remains one of the EU’s most successful trade agreements since it entered into force in 2011.
South Korea is emerging as a growing investor in Europe, especially in strategic sectors such as batteries, electric vehicles and semiconductors.
For the EU, a key objective is to secure semiconductor supply chains while encouraging further investment from Korean companies in Europe.
An EU official observed that Korea holds a global leadership position in semiconductors, a sector that offers significant cooperative potential for mutual benefit.
The digital trade agreement signed on Wednesday is expected to complement the broader trade partnership by reducing unnecessary barriers to digital trade and providing greater legal certainty for businesses operating in both markets, according to an EU official. It will promote cross‑border data flows and prohibit any mandatory source‑code transfer.
The agreement also aims to establish robust online consumer protection rules, while each side will retain its existing standards for personal data protection and privacy.
Economic security featured prominently on the summit agenda, with both sides agreeing to create a high‑level dialogue focused on supply‑chain resilience.
Supply chains faced pressure last year after China imposed export restrictions on strategic materials, including rare earths—critical for green technologies and defence—and on products related to the chip industry, which are vital for automotive manufacturing.
Security and defence
One aspect that remained unaddressed was a security‑of‑information agreement, which EU officials had promoted before the summit as a means to strengthen the flow of classified information between Brussels and Seoul.
Von der Leyen expressed hope that the security‑of‑information agreement will be adopted soon, enabling safe sharing of confidential data between Korea and the EU and fostering active industrial and research cooperation through information exchange.
The agreement would build on the 2024 Security and Defence Partnership between South Korea and the EU, designed to facilitate cooperation in maritime security, countering hybrid threats, combating foreign information manipulation and interference, and related areas.
A senior EU official indicated that nuclear non‑proliferation would be a key topic, given North Korea’s continued possession of a small but concerning nuclear warhead stockpile.
North Korea (the DPRK) and Russia were described as “big questions” at the summit, with Brussels prepared to share information on its support for Ukraine with Seoul.
The joint statement reiterated condemnation of North Korea and other entities that enable Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
“We urge Russia and the DPRK to immediately cease all such activities and abide by the UN Charter and all relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the statement reads.
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