Toward stronger-than-ever Korea-EU relations

This is the 11th in the "Letters to President Yoon" series The Korea Times has organized to convey policy recommendations in open letters from politicians, scholars and experts to President Yoon Suk-yeol following his May 10 inauguration. ― ED.

By Maria Castillo Fernandez

Dear Mr. President,
Warm congratulations on behalf of the European Union on becoming the new president of the Republic of Korea.

You have assumed office at a time when the world has entered a period of tectonic changes in the global geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. An uncertain situation that will get worse before it gets better, as humanity is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and is fighting an existential climate crisis.

While you have many domestic challenges to tackle, including closing the gaps between the genders and generations, it is of vital importance that Korea also plays a leading role under your leadership in addressing these global challenges.

The global order, stability and prosperity as we know it since WWII has been fractured by Russian President Vladimir Putin's unjustified and illegal invasion of Ukraine. This is a defining moment. We, the EU and Korea, need to build on our strong common values and cooperate to safeguard the rules-based order.

Russia's flagrant breach of the United Nations Charter has an impact beyond Ukraine and Europe. It is affecting people in all corners of the world, in terms of food and nutrition security, energy, commodity prices and public finances. The EU, Korea and the wider international community must together address and mitigate these impacts of Putin's war of choice. We firmly believe that the use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st century.

We welcome Korea's support and participation in the response of the international community to Russia's actions, including with economic sanctions, to deter armed aggression and secure a peaceful resolution. We call on you, Mr. President, to continue along this path and to support Ukraine even more.

The EU warmly welcomes your ambition to make Korea a global pivot state and to take up global responsibility commensurate with Korea's political, economic and cultural clout. We believe that Korea can become a global leader, promoting the values of liberal democracy and human rights as well as contributing to a fair and sustainable future for all. We strongly believe that it is in Korea's interest to diversify its foreign policy and work closely together with the EU, for instance on setting global standards and on convincing third countries to uphold the rules-based system.

In 2023, the EU and Korea will celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations. We have a lot to be proud of. Korea was the first country in Asia to sign a political framework agreement, a free trade agreement and a security cooperation framework partnership agreement with the EU. We have more than 40 policy dialogues and a strong political, trade and cultural relationship. The EU is the largest foreign direct investor in Korea and its third-largest trading partner. We believe that now is the time to take our relationship to a new level.

The EU adopted its own Indo-Pacific strategy recently. The significance of the Indo-Pacific region for the EU is about more than just geo-economics: it is also geostrategic. Re-engaging with the region, building comprehensive and rules-based partnerships with likeminded countries like yours is a must.

As one of our closest partners in the region, it is natural that Korea appears prominently in our Indo-Pacific strategy. We are both committed to sustainable and inclusive prosperity. This commitment means that the EU and Korea could cooperate on economic security, especially on the resilience of supply chains and on measures to increase strategic autonomy in trade and investments. A key element to strengthening our relationship would be to establish a digital partnership.

Furthermore, Korea sees green technology as the most promising key sector in the post-pandemic era ― a view that the EU profoundly shares. There is strong potential for deepening our cooperation on the clean energy transition towards carbon neutrality by 2050 as well as safeguarding biodiversity and the environment.

In research and innovation, Korea ― like other partners sharing common values ― could become a partner in the Horizon Europe program, which offers the possibility of more joint research and innovation opportunities, of key importance for our green and digital recoveries.

In regards to cooperation on security and defense, Korea's cooperation with EUNAVFOR Atlanta arose from its interest in protecting maritime routes. There is space to strengthen our security cooperation, including military-to-military cooperation, as the EU is stepping up its security presence in Asia. The EU also stands ready to support any new diplomatic process aimed at achieving denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Mr. President, the EU intends to work hand in hand with your administration to strengthen our bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation. Today, with multiple uncertainties and an economic crisis looming, our strategic partnership is more important than ever and Presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen are keen to meet with you in person to set out the framework for a stronger-than-ever partnership.

Sincerely,
Maria Castillo Fernandez

The writer is EU ambassador to South Korea.