S. Korea-Britain ties will not be shaken by Brexit: envoy
Charles Hay
Britain's relationship with South Korea will not change in the near future despite the British people's decision to leave the European Union, London's top envoy to Seoul said Saturday.
Ambassador Charles Hay's remark came a day after Britons voted to leave the EU in a landmark referendum, becoming the first nation to abandon the 28-member bloc.
"Britain outside the European Union will, I think in many ways, look very similar to Britain inside the European Union with respect to our relationship with our friends and allies like South Korea," he told Yonhap News Agency at his residence in Seoul, speaking in his first interview with the South Korean press since the vote.
"Nothing will happen very soon, so nobody needs to be alarmed about anything to do with the British economy or the British relationship with the European Union, because we will continue to be a member of the European Union until such time as we leave."
The referendum result does not mean Britain's immediate exit from the bloc it joined in 1973. It will first have to inform the EU of its intention to quit, initiating a two-year or longer process to settle the divorce.
"During that period, agreements, for example the (EU's) free trade agreement with Korea, will continue in force, so nothing will change with respect to the relationship between the U.K. and Korea," Hay said.
The ambassador admitted, however, that his top concern has become the impact Brexit may have on bilateral trade and economic ties.
"Fundamentally, I hope that this won't change because the fundamental policies of the U.K. have not changed," he said. "We will continue to be an outward-looking trading nation. We want to have a very strong trade and investment relationship with Korea."
Some South Korean companies in Britain are reportedly considering relocation due to the uncertain market conditions caused by Brexit.
"Nothing will change in the U.K. economy," Hay stressed. "Whatever implications will take a long time to feed through. There's no need to fear instability or chaos because there won't be any."
The envoy recognized the need for a bilateral free trade agreement to replace the South Korea-EU free trade pact that went into effect in 2011.
"That will happen at some point over the coming years, but I do believe that working together we can continue to have a prosperous and strong relationship to the great benefit of both of our countries," he said. "I think that British companies will continue to see Korea as a very attractive destination for trade. I believe that Korean companies will continue to trade successfully with the U.K."
Another area where Britain will remain unfazed is its "fundamental foreign policy beliefs," including its policy on North Korea, according to Hay.
"The U.K. has always been a strong advocate of working with our international partners on a tough sanctions regime against North Korea and condemning North Korean provocative actions," he said. "The U.K. will continue to be a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, so we will have a key role to play in terms of sanctions implementation and monitoring and agreement."
When Britain adopts its own policies after leaving the EU, it will still "mirror or be on the same lines as whatever the EU decides."
The ambassador also expressed confidence that Britain will retain its role in the international community.
"The U.K. will continue to be a strong international voice on human rights, on climate change, on development, on security issues. We will continue to be a member of the U.N. Security Council," Hay said. (Yonhap)