EU "Wants to Establish the Most Advanced Partnership with Korea, a 'Digital Leading Country'"

Korea-EU to Hold Joint Science and Technology Committee Meeting on the Afternoon of the 14th

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] South Korea and the European Union (EU) are set to formalize discussions on establishing a digital partnership.

On the afternoon of the 14th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the 7th Korea-EU Science and Technology Joint Committee in Seoul together with the European Commission. Vice Minister Yong Hong-taek of the Ministry of Science and ICT attended the meeting and discussed ways to strengthen international cooperation in science and technology research and development with Jean-Eric Paquet, Director-General of the EU Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. They also introduced key mutual policies including the top 10 core technologies for carbon neutrality, essential strategic technologies, international cooperation policies, and research ethics.

In particular, the EU side explained the ‘Digital Partnership’ it hopes to establish with South Korea as the most advanced cooperation framework, and both sides agreed to deepen related discussions through future working-level meetings. They discussed the resumption of Korea-EU ICT joint research in 2023, exchange of research resources and preclinical cooperation in the bio sector, research exchanges for carbon neutrality to overcome the climate change crisis, and strengthening research cooperation in hydrogen and quantum fields. They also discussed enhancing cooperation through the Joint Research Center (JRC), jointly established by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and the EU, as well as through the EU’s Horizon Europe program.

Vice Minister Yong said, "This was an opportunity to mutually confirm that South Korea and the EU recognize each other as priority partners amid the international context of carbon neutrality, digital transformation, and technological hegemony," adding, "We will continue to strengthen related support to create an environment for free research and development cooperation between Korean and European researchers."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.