President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) on May 22 gives a toast with European Council President Charles Michel (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at an official dinner held at the Office of the President in Seoul.

By Park Hye Ri
Photos = Office of the President

President Yoon Suk Yeol on May 22 said, "Korea and the European Union are strategic partners that share the values of freedom, human rights and rule of law."

Both sides share these universal values and have become the most ideal solidarity partners in the international community thanks to the strong cooperative relations they have built, he added. 

President Yoon said this at a dinner he hosted for European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Office of the President in Seoul, presidential spokesperson Lee Do Woon said in a news release.

In a welcoming speech at the event, President Yoon congratulated the two EU leaders on their first visit to Korea and greeted them in French and German considering their nationalities.

"(This meeting) is a historic occasion as the two EU leaders are making their first joint visit to Korea in 11 years to commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Korea and the EU," he said.

"I hope that on the occasion of this visit, bilateral relations achieve major progress over the next 60 years based on the results and common values built up over the past 60 years."  

President Michel said Korea and the EU are on the opposite sides of the globe but are partners that more closely share the values of freedom, human rights and rule of law than any other neighboring countries.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine violated the values shared by Korea and the EU, and the EU has noticed Korea's support for Ukraine and Europe, he added, predicting a more stable world environment through solidarity and friendship between Seoul and Brussels.

President von der Leyen started the dinner by saying discussions that day on green, national security and digital partnerships were based on the bilateral free trade agreement, but more important was that the two sides are partners sharing common values.

Korea and the EU are states that protect democracy and world peace from the bottom of their hearts, she added.

The EC chief said both sides will continue supporting Ukraine's efforts to uphold the United Nations Charter and international law and fighting the "shadow of threat" looming over the Korean Peninsula.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (middle) on May 22 holds a joint news conference with European Council President Charles Michel (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Office of the President in Seoul.

Before the dinner, President Yoon and both EU leaders held a bilateral summit and adopted a joint statement.

The statement said the three leaders pledged to launch a Strategic Dialogue at Foreign Ministerial Level and reinforce partnerships in the green, healthcare and digital sectors.

"By concluding the ROK (Republic of Korea)-EU Green Partnership, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in the overall climate and environment sectors," President Yoon said. "We also set up a cooperation system to respond to global health crises by signing the Administrative Arrangement on Health Emergency Preparedness and Response."

Turning to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, President Yoon said, "We agreed that they are a serious threat not only to the Korean Peninsula but also global security," adding, "Both (EU) leaders supported the goals and vision of (South) Korea's 'audacious initiative' and pledged continued efforts for the complete denuclearization of North Korea."

Seoul and Brussels will also boost cooperation to strengthen economic security and form resilient supply chains.

"The EU is Korea's No. 3 trading and No. 1 investment partner," President Yoon said. "We welcomed the expansion of mutually beneficial economic cooperation for both sides in future industries such as semiconductors, supply chains, digital and space."

Korea will initiate negotiations to join as an associate member Horizon Europe, the EU's largest research and innovation program set to inject by 2027 EUR 95.5 billion (KRW 135 trillion) from the 27 EU member states in research on climate change, healthcare, food, smart cities and cancer.

In addition, both sides condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine and expressed their solidarity with and support for the latter country.

Given the massive invasion of Ukraine, cooperation between Korea and EU is not a luxury but a necessity at this time, President Michel said, thanking Seoul for joining the EU in condemning the war and supporting the Ukrainian people.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (middle) on May 22 takes a photo with European Council President Charles Michel (left) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the presidential office in Seoul before their bilateral summit.