Brussels – Seoul: Europe and the Arabs

The European Union and the Republic of Korea today reaffirmed the pivotal role of their partnership in fostering cooperation in emerging digital technologies for the mutual benefit of their economies. During the third Digital Partnership Council meeting held in Seoul, the EU also reiterated its commitment to strengthening cooperation with digital partners worldwide to enhance competitiveness, innovation, and resilience.

A European statement issued in Brussels indicated that through the Digital Partnership, the EU and the Republic of Korea will continue to collaborate on research and innovation in emerging technologies such as semiconductors, 6G networks, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies. This cooperation aims to enhance future competitiveness and technological leadership, while building stronger economic security by strengthening resilience in critical technologies, including cybersecurity.

The meeting was co-chaired by Hina Verkonen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, and Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea.

Commitments of the Third Digital Partnership Council
The EU and the Republic of Korea have strengthened their cooperation across multiple areas. They will continue working on joint research projects related to semiconductors, contributing to the development of more efficient and versatile chips for AI and autonomous driving applications. Significant progress will also be made in 6G efforts, paving the way for seamless connectivity. The European Union and the Republic of Korea welcomed the recent call for joint research projects on quantum technologies under the Horizon Europe program, focusing on developing these technologies through joint development, knowledge sharing, and fostering long-term cooperation.

The two partners will maintain close regulatory cooperation in the field of AI. They are committed to exploring mutual recognition of conformity assessment results in line with the AI ​​Act. Furthermore, they will collaborate on standardization, engage in joint research and innovation, and focus on assessing the safety and reliability of AI.

Information exchange on data spaces will be enhanced through exploring joint research initiatives and discussing standards. The partners are also considering establishing a joint working group to support data space interoperability. The European Union and the Republic of Korea will strengthen several areas of their bilateral cyber dialogue, including the exchange of cyber threat intelligence, cooperation on software supply chain security, and security certifications for Internet of Things (IoT) products. They will also focus on cybersecurity skills and explore potential joint research.

In addition, cooperation on standardization will be enhanced in international standardization forums, such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The next Digital Partnership Council meeting will be held in Brussels in 2026. Since the launch of the Digital Partnership in 2022, the EU and the Republic of Korea have strengthened their cooperation in numerous digital and technological fields. This includes collaborative research, regulatory dialogue, and the development of common positions in international forums. The partnership aligns with the EU's Indo-Pacific Cooperation Strategy, which aims to strengthen ties with countries in the region and advance the international digital strategy.