Director General for FTA Negotiations Kwon Hye-jin at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea is heading the Korean delegation in the third official round of negotiations for an upgraded Korea-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) through November 11–14 in Seoul. The UK delegation is led by Adam Fenn, Chief Negotiator at the UK's Department for Business and Trade.


Having inked the bilateral FTA in 2019 and seen its entry into force in 2021, the two countries declared the launch of negotiations for an upgraded Agreement on the occasion of Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the UK in November 2023. The first two rounds of negotiations for the upgraded Agreement were held this January and March, in Seoul and London, respectively.


With this third negotiating round being the first to convene since the UK Labor Party’s inauguration in July, the Korean government is aiming to accelerate discussions across services, supply chains, digital, bio, and other areas.


Highlighting that the UK is Korea’s key friendly nation and economic cooperation partner in new trade areas like advanced industries and energy, Director General Kwon expressed anticipation towards not only upgrading the existing Agreement, but also the introduction of emerging norms in supply chains, gender, and bio.