Korea, Finland deepen strategic economic, security ties

Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, right, and Ville Tavio, Finland’s minister of foreign trade and development, shake hands at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Yeo Han-koo, Korea’s minister for trade, met Friday with Ville Tavio, Finland’s minister of foreign trade and development, to coordinate responses to global trade disruptions and expand cooperation in advanced industries, officials said.

They reviewed joint responses to a rapidly shifting global trade environment and discussed ways to strengthen economic and security ties — with a focus on supply chain stability and high-tech collaboration — during talks held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, officials said.

Building on trust established under the Korea-European Union Free Trade Agreement, the two countries agreed to elevate ties to a more strategic and comprehensive partnership, expanding beyond trade and investment to include emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and resource recycling.

Both sides also said they shared concerns over rising geopolitical tensions and the spread of protectionism, which have heightened global economic uncertainties.

They agreed on the need for closer cooperation among countries that support open markets, and said they would continue close communication through multilateral channels, including the World Trade Organization and the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting, as well as bilateral frameworks under the Korea-EU trade agreement.

Yeo said Finland is “an important partner with strengths in critical minerals infrastructure and advanced technologies,” adding that Korea will continue to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Finland to deepen economic and security ties with Europe.

He added that the government aims to build stable supply chains to support sustainable industrial growth and further expand cooperation to secure future growth engines.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.