The European Union and the Republic of Korea held their 11th bilateral summit in Brussels on 10 June 2026. European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen represented the EU. President Lee Jae Myung represented the Republic of Korea. EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also participated, alongside EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Korean Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo.
This summit was the first between the two sides in three years. The previous EU–Republic of Korea Summit took place in Seoul in 2023, where leaders also launched the EU–Republic of Korea Green Partnership.
The Republic of Korea is the world’s 13th-largest economy with a population exceeding 51 million people. In 2025, trade in goods between the EU and the Republic of Korea surpassed 124 billion euros. Since the entry into force of the EU–Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement, trade in goods grew by an average of 5.3% each year between 2011 and 2025.
At the summit, the two sides signed a landmark Digital Trade Agreement (DTA). The DTA provides binding rules that build consumer trust, ensure predictability and legal certainty for businesses, guarantee reliable data flows, and remove unjustified barriers to digital trade. The leaders also agreed to launch the EU–Republic of Korea Competitiveness Partnership to enhance competitiveness and economic resilience, and endorsed the establishment of a high-level economic dialogue.
European Council President António Costa stated at the press conference: “The European Union-Korea Free Trade Agreement remains one of the European Union’s most successful trade agreements since its entry into force in 2011.”
European Commission President von der Leyen commented: “Korea is one of Europe’s closest partners in the Indo-Pacific region and on the global stage. In today’s uncertain world, stable and trusted partnerships like ours are more precious than ever.”
The leaders welcomed the initial steps in implementing the EU–Republic of Korea Security and Defence Partnership, signed in November 2024. That partnership covers maritime security, cybersecurity, countering hybrid threats, foreign information manipulation, counter-terrorism, and non-proliferation.
The leaders reiterated their support for freedom of navigation and overflight, including in the South China Sea, and stressed the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, opposing unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific.
The joint statement affirmed, “Our Strategic Partnership is strengthening steadily across the board and contributes to the prosperity and security of our citizens. Our relationship reflects our shared values and commitment to the rule of law, fundamental freedoms, democracy, human rights, open, free and fair trade, and common interests.”
