Yoon Soongu is the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO.
Fifty-eight years ago, on July 24, 1963, the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community (EEC) (the predecessor of the current European Union (EU)). At the time, it was difficult to predict the future of this partnership. South Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world. After experiencing two terrible world wars, the European Economic Community is working hard to open the road to peace and prosperity through economic cooperation between its six member states at the time.
However, if we look back at the path our partnership has taken, it is simply remarkable. The 27-member EU has become South Korea’s third largest trading partner and largest foreign investor, and South Korea has rapidly developed into the world’s tenth largest economic power. South Korea and the European Union upgraded their relationship to a “strategic partnership” in 2010, and South Korea became the first country to reach all three important agreements with the European Union in the areas of free trade, security and crisis management.
Of course, the Korea-EU Free Trade Agreement has been the backbone of our relationship for the past ten years, as the first trade agreement between the EU and Asian countries, and the first “Next Generation Free Trade Agreement” that includes a chapter on sustainable development. But as the name “strategic partnership” indicates, our relationship has developed into a more comprehensive relationship with a certain added value. We work closely together, based on common values and common interests, and through various channels of strategic dialogue held regularly, to strengthen the rules-based international order and multilateralism, and to respond to global challenges.
This year, even amidst the enormous challenges posed by COVID-19, the Korean-European partnership continues to flourish and expand in depth and breadth. It has made meaningful progress on issues of common concern, such as South Korea’s ratification of core ILO conventions, the EU’s preliminary adequacy decision on GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), and South Korea’s declaration of carbon neutrality by 2050. In addition, we have held a “high-level political dialogue” for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 to discuss how to deal with common issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure global peace and stability through cooperation in combating piracy, terrorism, internet and Other security areas.
Despite these brilliant achievements, the international community still faces unprecedented challenges, which provides a convincing reason for South Korea and the EU to open a new chapter of cooperation. The competition between China and the United States is becoming increasingly fierce, and more and more global issues require countries to reach consensus and cooperation. Climate change is posing a serious threat to human survival. There are many emerging unconventional security threats. COVID-19 continues to remind the world that neither a single country nor a single vaccine can deal with the threat of a pandemic. Ironically, the pandemic has also accelerated the digital transformation of society, which requires us to adapt flexibly.
This year marks the 11th anniversary of the establishment of our strategic partnership, and the time is ripe for us to push the relationship between the two countries to a new height again. In order for our relationship to remain in the common interests of us and the international community in the future, we need to actively broaden the scope of our partnership, not only for both of us, but also for the whole world.
In order to curb climate change, the South Korean government promised to implement the Green New Deal, which is very consistent with the European Union’s “European Green New Deal”. The South Korean government officially pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 as a positive response and strengthened the nationally determined contribution target for 2030. It also recently confirmed its firm commitment to reducing methane emissions by joining the global methane pledge initiated by the European Union and the United States.
South Korea and the European Union will continue to use existing dialogue channels such as the “Green Trading Dialogue” and the “Environment, Energy and Climate Change Working Group” to strengthen the emissions trading system and promote cooperation in eco-friendly industries. The two sides are also discussing the establishment of a so-called “green partnership” aimed at contributing to more sustainable green growth.
South Korea and the European Union are also strengthening cooperation in public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The lesson we learned is that global cooperation and solidarity are not a matter of choice, but a necessary issue to overcome such a large-scale epidemic, especially cooperation in expanding vaccine production capacity and ensuring equitable distribution of vaccines. Vaccines are the key.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the European Union has been supporting the development of vaccines and is currently producing and exporting the largest number of vaccines in the world. It is also a leader in providing vaccine support to low-income countries. South Korea is not only recognized for its effective response to COVID-19, it is also known for its first-class biopharmaceutical production facilities and high-quality products. South Korea is second only to the United States, Germany and Ireland in terms of biologics manufacturing potential, and ranks fourth in the world. Currently, South Korea is producing major vaccines including Moderna, Novavax, and AstraZeneca, and many Korean companies are further expanding their production capacity. In addition, just as the European Commission established the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Agency (HERA) in September, South Korea also established the Global Vaccine Central Committee in August to promote vaccine development and production and improve future pandemic response capabilities.
In this regard, we can actively consider signing a comprehensive vaccine partnership between South Korea and the European Union to deal with future epidemics. This is not only beneficial to both sides, but can also contribute to global efforts to overcome any epidemic by promoting the production and distribution of global vaccines.
Last but not least, we can say that South Korea and the European Union are natural partners in the digital field. South Korea is considered the most innovative country in the world, ranking first in the 2021 Bloomberg Innovation Index and leading the world in terms of total domestic R&D expenditure. It also voluntarily becomes a test bed for new technologies, ideas and adventures, and innovation. In the recently announced “Indo-Pacific Strategy”, the EU made it clear that it is willing to strengthen digital cooperation with South Korea, sign a digital partnership agreement, and expand cooperation in areas such as supply chain diversification, environment and research. And innovation.
As the famous historian Arnold J Toynbee said, civilization emerged in response to a series of extremely difficult challenges in our history. Our future depends on how we respond to current challenges. If we can stand the test of time and move forward bravely, the international community can take a big step towards a better and better future. In this difficult time full of uncertainties, close cooperation between the best like-minded partners such as South Korea and the European Union is more necessary than ever. If we brainstorm and work together to prepare for a new partnership that goes beyond mere economic cooperation and encompasses global agendas in the fields of climate action, digital, vaccines and supply chains, as well as security and politics, I believe that the Korea-Europe partnership can serve the world Create a good precedent that is future-oriented, prosperous, versatile, and able to contribute to global interests.
