S. Korea, Europe draw closer as Trump's return reshapes security order
Korea holds 1st Space Security Dialogue with EU, launches Indo-Pacific Dialogue with Germany
South Korea and the European Union held their first space security dialogue to enhance cooperation in countering escalating threats in outer space, as part of ongoing efforts for closer security alignment.
The tighter cooperation comes amid the increasing interconnection of security between the Indo-Pacific and Europe, as well as a shifting security landscape under US President Donald Trump. The US administration has urged allies to increase defense spending to enhance burden-sharing.
Youn Jong-kwon, director-general for International Security at South Korea's Foreign Ministry and EU Special Envoy for Space Marjolijn van Deelen held the space security dialogue in Brussels on Monday, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday.
The dialogue was a follow-up measure to the bilateral Security and Defense Partnership signed in November 2024 at a meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Joseph Borrell, then-EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in Seoul.
During the dialogue, the Korean side 'emphasized the need for close cooperation with the EU and other like-minded countries in response to escalating North Korean threats in space," the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said in a written statement.
'Both sides shared assessments of various space threats, reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation in developing rules on space security, and agreed to explore concrete ways to enhance space security cooperation at the bilateral level between Korea and the EU,' the statement read. 'Both sides agreed to regularize the Korea-EU space security dialogue and further deepen cooperation in the field of space security.'
South Korea's Foreign Ministry and the Federal Foreign Office of Germany launched the first-ever "Korea-Germany Indo-Pacific Dialogue" on Monday at the Foreign Ministry building in Seoul.
Both sides exchanged views on the current situation and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and its interconnectedness with European security as well as key policies including cybersecurity. They agreed to continue exploring concrete cooperation measures to jointly contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Monday.
The EU and South Korea have been drawn closer on security, as the interlinkage between Indo-Pacific and European security becomes clearer and discernible, a move highlighted by North Korea's large-scale deployment of troops to aid Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.
The European security dynamics are changing, as President Trump has challenged the collective security arrangements of NATO — a European and North American alliance led by America.
Trump has repeatedly warned that the US would not defend NATO member states unless they allocate 5 percent of their gross domestic product to defense spending, prompting calls from European countries to strengthen their own defenses.
The Trump administration's suspension of weapons assistance and the sharing of intelligence with Ukraine has rattled the EU and NATO member states, particularly because Ukraine borders four NATO and EU member states — Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
Cho also made his first bilateral visit to Europe since taking office in January 2024, traveling to Poland and France last week.
Cho met with the Diplomatic Adviser to the French President, Emmanuel Bonne, and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot. They discussed issues including negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Russia-North Korea military cooperation and the Trump administration's impact on European security, according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.
'Minister Cho's visit to France is seen as an opportunity to deepen strategic communication between the two countries amid geopolitical tectonic shifts shaping a new international order," the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Saturday.
Cho also visited Poland, where he met with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Mar. 5 and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on Mar. 6, followed by a courtesy visit to Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Duda, on the same day, praised the swift delivery of Korea-produced weapons during his joint news conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Seoul also views South Korea's strategic value as a major arms exporter as having grown for European countries.
Cho and Sikorski 'agreed to continue pursuing defense cooperation unwaveringly as optimal strategic partners in defense and security' and 'further strengthen transregional security cooperation within the NATO-IP4 partnership framework," according to Seoul's Foreign Ministry.
In a separate statement, the Polish Foreign Ministry also confirmed that 'much of the talks focused on the security situation in Europe and the Asia–Pacific.'
Wrapping up his visit to Europe, on Friday Cho said, 'There is significant interest in strengthening security cooperation with South Korea.'
Cho further noted that 'with the inauguration of the second Trump administration and the rapidly shifting international landscape, the need for solidarity between like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific and Europe is growing.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Child soldiers of Korean War still waiting for recognition
Of some 30,000 child soldiers who joined the war, 2,573 were killed; survivors not registered patriots Park Tae-seung, 92, vividly remembers the day he was conscripted into the South Korean military to fight against North Koreans. It was near the end of August 1950, only three months after the 1950-53 Korean War began. He was 17. 'Age didn't really matter — if we were physically big enough, then the country deemed us sufficient to enter the war,' Park, who now lives in the quiet city of Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, told The Korea Herald on Wednesday. 'I saw so many of us — both allies and enemies — fighting in the war and getting killed. It still haunts me to this day how I had to leave behind my friends on the battlefield just to survive,' he added. Park is one of the 29,603 soldiers aged 17 and under who were conscripted for the Korean War, according to data provided by the Institute for Military History under the Defense Ministry in 2011. Among them, 2,573 were killed in the war. While most were part of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces, some served in the United Nations Command. Some 470 of the 30,000 were identified as female. The institute's report tied to the data said that such conscriptions of child soldiers were not carried out 'through standard procedures,' indicating that many were forced to enter the war. Park was allowed to be discharged from the armed forces in February 1955, some two years after the war ended. He was 22 at the time. With the country attempting to rebuild itself, Park at first saw hope, but his life was quickly filled with despair and crippling challenges. 'My mother had sent all three of her young sons to war. My eldest brother died in the war, leaving his wife widowed … the years following the war were filled with poverty and struggle to earn a meager portion of rice to sustain my family for the day.' It did not help that the South Korean government had turned a blind eye toward the service of child soldiers during the Korean War in the following decades. It was only in 2010 that the Defense Ministry officially acknowledged the existence and service of child soldiers, upon the suggestion of the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission. 'We lost our chance to be educated and live better lives. And the country abandoned us,' Park said. Under the current law, former child soldiers are recognized as war veterans but not as registered patriots. Registered patriots receive bigger rewards and better health benefits compared to those classified as war veterans. Bereaved families of registered patriots can also continue receiving similar benefits after his or her death. Families of war veterans cannot. A bill to amend the Act on Honorable Treatment of War Veterans and Establishment of Related Associations, aiming to establish a compensation and support system for child soldiers, has been repeatedly drafted, yet scrapped at the National Assembly throughout the past decade. It has never been prioritized, according to attorney Ha Kyoung-hwan, who has worked closely with the survivors of the forgotten group since 2014. In October 2015, the Constitutional Court dismissed a complaint filed the previous year by five former child soldiers who argued that they were forcefully conscripted by the government during the war and failed to receive legal compensation. The court cited the failure to file the complaint within "the prescribed time limit." Ha represented the former child soldiers in the case. In South Korea, a constitutional complaint must be filed with the Constitutional Court within 90 days after the violation of fundamental rights is known, and within one year after the cause of the violation occurs. However, the court did admit that it would be "appropriate" for the state to recognize the "sacrifice of child soldiers and seek out ways to compensate" if the government budget allows. He recently attended a memorial service for child soldiers held in Daegu on June 18, the first of its kind to be held in 6 years. A decade ago, 100 survivors attended the event; this year, there were only two. On top of it, a veterans group of former child soldiers launched in 1996 had disbanded in 2019, with many of its members having died of old age and having undergone financial difficulties in managing the group. Observers say there are now fewer than 2,000 survivors, though there has been no official record stating the exact number of such, to date. 'The survivors are now aged well over 90, and time is running out,' Ha, whose uncle was a Korean War child soldier himself, said via phone. President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for the Cabinet members to 'review whether sufficient rewards and respectful treatments are handed to those who made special sacrifices to protect South Korea.' Nodding towards Lee's remarks, Ha expressed hopes of change this year.
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
Trump urges end to 'witch hunt' corruption trial
WASHINGTON (AFP) -- US President Donald Trump weighed in on ally Benjamin Netanyahu's long-running corruption trial Wednesday, urging for Israel's "Great War Time Prime Minister" to be exonerated after the conflict with Iran. "Such a WITCH HUNT, for a man who has given so much, is unthinkable to me," Trump wrote in a long post on his Truth Social platform. The US president, who himself faced an array of criminal charges and convictions that he argued were politically motivated, said he had "just learned that Bibi" -- a nickname for Netanyahu -- "has been summoned to Court on Monday." "Bibi and I just went through HELL together, fighting a very tough and brilliant longtime enemy of Israel, Iran, and Bibi could not have been better, sharper, or stronger in his LOVE for the incredible Holy Land," Trump said. "Bibi Netanyahu's trial should be CANCELLED, IMMEDIATELY, or a Pardon given to a Great Hero," Trump urged. Trump's lavish praise for Netanyahu came a day after the US leader angrily berated Israel in an expletive-filled rant for apparently preparing to attack Iran despite a ceasefire announced the previous night. The unusual public display of anger at Israel saw Trump apparently trying to cajole his ally to call off warplanes in real time. Moments later he said Israeli planes would "turn around and head home." Netanyahu's trial has been delayed many times since it began in May 2020, with the Israeli leader requesting postponements due to the war in Gaza and later conflict in Lebanon. In a first case, Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, are accused of accepting more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewelry and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favors. Two other cases allege that Netanyahu attempted to negotiate more favorable coverage in two Israeli media outlets. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing. Before the agreement of a ceasefire on Tuesday, Israel had pounded Iranian nuclear and military sites over the course of 12 days of war, while Iran launched waves of missiles at its regional arch foe in their deadliest-ever confrontation. The US joined the fray in support of its ally, hitting two nuclear facilities with massive bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while guided missiles from a submarine struck a third. Trump announced the ceasefire shortly after Iran retaliated with strikes targeting a US base in Qatar that the president said had been fully defeated and forewarned. "It was the United States of America that saved Israel, and now it is going to be the United States of America that saves Bibi Netanyahu," Trump said in his social media post.
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
S. Korean trade minister meets with US Congress officials for talks on trade, cooperation
South Korea's new trade minister has held talks with officials from the US Congress and the White House in Washington to discuss trade issues and ways to enhance bilateral cooperation, Seoul's industry ministry said Thursday. Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo, currently on a weeklong trip to Washington, met with Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), chair of the US House Committee on Ways and Means; Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), head of the trade subcommittee of the committee; and Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. In the meetings, Yeo called for US Congress' efforts to create "stable" and "predictable" business for Korean companies in the course of handling the proposed tax bill by President Donald Trump's administration, which is expected to have a huge impact across markets and the economy. The bill, dubbed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," contains amendments to reduce tax credits for electric vehicles and others under the Inflation Reduction Act, which also applies to Korean exporters. Yeo called for efforts to promote a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries amid mounting uncertainties regarding the Trump administration's tariff and industry policies, according to his office. The Korean trade minister has been visiting the US capital since Sunday to hold trade talks with his US counterparts on tariffs, non-tariff measures and other issues, marking his first official visit to the US since taking office earlier this month. On Monday, Yeo met with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to convey Seoul's position on the Trump administration's tariff measures. In May, Seoul and Washington agreed to craft a package deal on tariff and other trade issues by July 8, when the 90-day suspension of US reciprocal tariffs, including 25 percent duties for South Korea, will end. The Seoul government has been working to negotiate with the Trump administration to get a full exemption or reduction of the reciprocal tariffs, as well as sectoral duties, including 50 percent tariffs on steel imports and 25 percent tariffs on car imports. Yeo has vowed to speed up trade negotiations with Washington to achieve a "pragmatic" and "mutually beneficial" deal between the two countries. (Yonhap)
