European Union Ambassador to South Korea Ugo Astuto speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the EU Delegation in Jung District, central Seoul, on June 30.PARK SANG-MOON
[INTERVIEW]
European Union Ambassador to South Korea Ugo Astuto on Tuesday warned that North Korea’s deepening military cooperation with Russia posed a “clear risk” and condemned Pyongyang's continued missile launches and illegal proliferation activities.
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"We stand ready to support if we can, if a diplomatic process starts," Astuto said, regarding Seoul's efforts to ease tensions with Pyongyang as he sat down for an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the EU Delegation in Jung District, central Seoul, on Tuesday. The envoy weighed in on the outcome of the recent South Korea-EU summit, the 11th of its kind.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held talks on June 10 in Brussels and issued a joint statement.
Both sides agreed in the statement that North Korea “will never be accepted as a nuclear-weapon State" and that they "strongly condemn Russia-[North Korea] illegal military cooperation.”
North Korea later lambasted the joint statement, saying the South Korean president "threw off the bothersome mask of peace” and calling the statement a "clear infringement on the sovereignty of our state and a grave hostile act."
Astuto also urged the international community to unite in denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and continue enforcing sanctions against Moscow.
“Russia, despite being a permanent member of the UN Security Council, is systematically violating UN resolutions,” the ambassador said. “I think it’s important that we continue to uphold the scores of UN resolution, which are meant to condemn and stop proliferation.”
From left: President Lee Jae Myung, European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen deliver a joint press statement at the European Council headquarters in Brussels on June 10.JOINT PRESS CORPS
The joint statement emphasized implementing the security and defense partnership the two sides had signed in November 2024, formalizing cooperation on shared geopolitical threats and global security challenges.
Addressing the Ukraine war, the EU has been “forced to rethink its defense posture” and “build up defense capabilities across the board,” Astuto said, adding the examples of cybersecurity and maritime security.
“[South] Korea is already an important place because it has become one of the major suppliers of weaponry to several EU member states,” the ambassador continued. “From the EU side, [the partnership] is about offering a framework so that we overcome and we mitigate the fragmentation of the European defense market […] Starting the negotiation is about offering an additional tool for the support and development of our security and defense.”
Describing South Korea as a “like-minded partner” of the EU, Astuto underscored that the recent summit has “confirmed the excellent state of play of our relations” and also “explored new fields” in attaining a novel strategic level.
“We share the same values grounded in democracy and we have a convergent interest as advanced economies at the time of uncertainty, volatility and where economic coercion is also becoming a concern,” he said.
“I think the summit was particularly significant in injecting fresh momentum into our strategic partnership.”
The joint statement also highlighted bilateral cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, supply chains, digital, advanced technologies, energy and innovation.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaks during the second plenary meeting of the Ninth Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party, held from June 20 to 22, where he reaffirmed his policy of expanding the country's nuclear forces and pledged to strengthen its defense capabilities to a level "capable of overwhelming the world." The image was released by Korean Central Television on June 23.YONHAP
AI particularly stood out as one of the key agendas. The EU has long been considered to take a conservative stance toward AI, as shown in its AI Act, which regulates the technology's use. South Korea, on the other hand, has shown its commitment in becoming an AI powerhouse, with the Lee administration recently announcing three large-scale investment projects in cooperation with leading chipmakers.
Yet, Astuto replied that both South Korea and the EU “stand from the same assumption” and that “efforts can be complementary.”
“We want to be leaders in artificial intelligence,” he said. “We want to foster innovation, but we also want the rollout of [AI] to be compatible with our democratic values and to be respectful of individual rights.”
He pointed to Korea’s recent accession to the Horizon Europe program as the first Asian country to join the initiative, the EU’s flagship funding program for research and innovation, calling it an “outstanding success.”
South Korea and the EU have traditionally been viewed as important trade partners, with the EU ranking as South Korea’s third-largest partner in goods trade.
The ambassador praised the South Korea-EU free trade agreement, which took effect in 2015 and has “worked extremely well,” adding that the EU looks forward to pursuing new ventures such as the Digital Trade Agreement.
It will help, for instance, recognize the legal validity of electronic contracts or the use of electronic signatures, he explained, which are important for not only large corporations but for smaller businesses as well.
“The agreement is meant to ensure a high level of protection for the consumer for personal data, and at the same time establish a regulatory space where businesses can prosper,” Astuto said. “I think it’s a very useful addition to the free trade agreement.”
Despite the growing partnership, some trade issues remain unresolved — most notably the EU’s plans to cut its tariff-free steel import quota by nearly half from 2024 levels. As the EU is South Korea’s second-largest export market for steel, President Lee had asked his European counterparts at the summit to give the matter “favorable consideration.”
Astuto declined to speculate on the outcome, saying discussions were still underway.
“But I trust that in the end we will find that this conversation will come to a productive solution, taking into account the concerns of both sides,” he said.
