EU and Republic of Korea reaffirm their partnership for an inclusive and resilient digital transformation

Yesterday afternoon, the EU and the Republic of Korea held the second Digital partnership Council in Brussels. The Council was co-chaired by Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and by Korean Minister for Science and Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Lee Jong-Ho.

Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market, said: “The EU and Korea are leading digital economies and strategic like-minded partners. Today, we took steps to further work together on crucial areas such semiconductors, 5G/6G, cybersecurity, AI, online platforms and connectivity, and joined forces on research projects. Together, we can promote global standards, support innovation and competitiveness and create further opportunities for our economies.”

During the ministerial meeting, the EU and Korea reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate in key digital technologies for the benefit of citizens and economies. They took stock of the progress achieved since the first digital partnership council and agreed on a list of key areas to further cooperate. The EU and Korea agreed to continue the cooperation on semiconductors, 5G and beyond, quantum technology, platforms, artificial intelligence (AI), as well as cybersecurity, and defined other areas of cooperation such as network connectivity.

To facilitate the implementation of these joint projects, the Commission and the Republic of Korea on Monday concluded the negotiations for associating the country to Horizon Europe, the EU’s funding programme for research and innovation.