President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III, held a meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the Prime Minister’s Office on Nov. 22 and discussed a wide range of issues, including practical cooperation between the two countries, regional developments and global issues.
Prior to the meeting, President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak reviewed the history of Korea-UK bilateral relations by viewing the original “Treaty of Protective Trade and Commerce (1883),” which opened the door to diplomatic relations between the two countries 140 years ago, and assessed the deep ties that the two countries have developed in various fields, including politics, economy, science and technology, and culture. Based on this, they affirmed their commitment to further deepen and develop bilateral cooperation in the future.
At the subsequent Korea-UK Summit, President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship from a “comprehensive and creative partnership” to a “global strategic partnership,” and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in various fields.
First of all, President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak welcomed the agreement to establish a 2+2 ministerial committee on foreign affairs and defense between the two countries, and expressed their expectation that they will be able to communicate more closely amidst the rapidly changing international situation and contribute to bilateral diplomatic and security cooperation as well as peace and stability around the world.
He also expressed his hope that the signing of the Strategic Cyber Partnership on the occasion of the state visit will expand cooperation to create a free, open, and secure cyberspace, strengthen bilateral defense competitiveness through a joint defense export MOU, and lay the foundation for effective cooperation to enter the common market.
President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak expressed their appreciation for the solid development of bilateral economic cooperation through the Korea-UK FTA, even amidst global crises such as Brexit and the pandemic, and expressed their pleasure that negotiations to improve the Korea-UK FTA have begun on this occasion. In addition, President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak expressed their expectation that through the revision of the Korea-UK FTA, the two countries will expand cooperation to establish trade norms in new areas such as digital, supply chain, and energy, and become strategic trading partners.
Meanwhile, President Yoon said that the global supply chain is being reorganized around high-tech industries amidst rapid changes in the industrial structure due to geopolitical conflicts, climate change, and digital transformation, and that bilateral cooperation is crucial to stabilize the global supply chain. In this regard, he said that he hoped that the signing of the Korea-UK Semiconductor Cooperation MOU would lead to continued cooperation for the development of the semiconductor industry in both countries as well as the stabilization of the global semiconductor supply chain.
President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak welcomed the signing of various nuclear cooperation MOUs between the two governments, companies, and associations on the occasion of their visits to the UK, and expressed their hope that the two countries will accelerate cooperation in the nuclear field.
Meanwhile, the two leaders appreciated that the signing of the Digital Partnership and the Digital Government Cooperation MOU between the two countries have paved the way for further cooperation in digital areas such as 6G, AI, and digital norms. President Yoon said that as Korea is a leading AI technology holder, the two countries should work closely together in the process of shaping global AI norms and governance. The two leaders also expressed their expectations that the MOU on space cooperation will serve as an opportunity for the two countries to become key partners in the space sector in all areas, including space exploration, policy, and industry.
In addition, President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak agreed to strengthen cooperation on climate change response and energy transition for sustainable development, and to support global efforts to combat climate change through the Carbon Free Energy initiative, the establishment of a bilateral clean energy partnership, and contributions to the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). They also agreed to jointly contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries through the Korea-UK Strategic Development Partnership.
In addition, through the revision of the Korea-UK Working Holiday Agreement, the participation age will be raised and the quota will be expanded, which is expected to promote interaction among young people, which is the foundation of future cooperation between the two countries.
President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak affirmed that North Korea’s launch of a so-called reconnaissance satellite is a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and a provocation to the international community, and that the two countries will jointly condemn and deal with it along with the international community.
Prime Minister Sunak expressed concern over the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, and the need to strictly respond to other security threats posed by Russia to Ukraine and the Middle East.
President Yoon explained that in response to North Korea’s provocations, the ROK has suspended a part of the five-year-old inter-Korean military agreement to resume forward surveillance and reconnaissance activities against the DPRK, and called for enhanced information sharing and security cooperation through the newly established 2+2 cooperation system at the defense and foreign ministerial levels.
On the occasion of Korea’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2024-25, President Yoon expressed his country’s determination to actively contribute to peace, security, and prosperity in the international community and hoped to work closely with the United Kingdom, a permanent member of the Security Council. President Yoon also emphasized that cooperation among countries with shared values is more important than ever in the face of global complexity, and expressed his country’s commitment to continue strengthening cooperation with the G7 and asked for the United Kingdom’s support in promoting cooperation with the G7.
President Yoon also hoped that the United Kingdom would further expand its much-needed role in the Asia-Pacific region, and in doing so, the two countries would pursue strategic cooperation in a way that would be mutually beneficial.
Following the summit, President Yoon and Prime Minister Sunak elevated the bilateral relationship to a “global strategic partnership” and signed the Downing Street Accord, which outlines the strategic cooperation between the two countries.
