Friday 15 / August / 2025
Seoul: European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are meeting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday during a summit in Seoul.
The EU and South Korea mark 60 years of diplomatic relations this year.
The meeting comes after Michel, von der Leyen and Yoon attended the G7 summit in Japan.
What is on the agenda?
The talks are set to focus on trade agreements, North Korea's banned weapons programs and Russia's war in Ukraine.
Seoul has sent humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and sold tanks to Kyiv ally Poland. However, South Korea has not provided weapons to Ukraine due to its policy of not sending arms to active conflict zones.
"The EU and South Korea are expected to express their strong joint support for upholding the rules-based international order," the European Council said in a statement.
Von der Leyen wrote on Twitter: "Today's world calls for us to further strengthen our special bond. We will be deepening our cooperation in strategic areas — clean energy, research, digital."
Yoon's office said the visit by EU leaders would be an "opportunity to strengthen practical cooperation in the fields of economy, health, science and technology and deepen cooperation on regional and global issues."
Ahead of the talks, Michel visited the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) dividing the Korean peninsula.
Germany, South Korea pledge more cooperation
On Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also met with Yoon in South Korea after the G7 leaders summit in Japan.
Scholz and Yoon agreed to boost defense cooperation, building stable industrial supply chains and addressing the challenges posed by nuclear-armed North Korea.
The trip marked the first visit by a German chancellor to Seoul in three decades.
