1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha held a working luncheon with Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice President of the European Commission (HRVP), on August 6. Over the luncheon, the two sides exchanged views on issues concerning the Korean Peninsula and those between the Republic of Korea and the EU as well as ways to step up bilateral cooperation.

※ HRVP Mogherini was on her second visit to the ROK on August 5-6 after the first of its kind in 2015 in her capacity as HRVP.

2. The Minister and the High Representative noted with appreciation that the ROK and the EU, strategic partners that mark the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2018, had been bolstering comprehensive and multi-level cooperation with each other in various sectors. In addition, the two top diplomats, reaffirming shared confidence in the world order based on rules, such as those concerning free trade and multilateralism, agreed to further bolster cooperation on the global stage.

° In particular, Minister Kang relayed concern over the possibility of the EU’s recent imposition of provisional safeguard measures on steel products having negative impact on mutually beneficial trade between the ROK and the EU as well as on free and multilateral trade in the global community. On that note, she asked the EU to exempt Korean-made steel products from those safeguard measures.

※ The European Commission put in place provisional safeguard measures on 23 product categories of steel on July 19.

° Minister Kang, taking note of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in force since May 25, asked the EU to accelerate the currently ongoing ROK-EU consultations on the adequacy decision regarding the out-of-area transfer of personal information.

※ The EU GDPR, which calls for better ensuring rights of information subjects and strengthening the accountability of entrepreneurs, -- e. g. notification of leak of personal information, designation of data protection officers, and the right to be forgotten -- is applied to all companies that sell merchandise and/or provide services to the member states of the EU and the companies therein.

※ When the European Commission makes an adequacy decision for a country and acknowledges that the country protects personal information to the equivalent extent as that of the EU, then, individual companies are allowed to transfer that information to that specific country without undergoing any further procedures.

3. The Minister and the High Representative shared with each other their assessments of the recent progress in the inter-Korean relations; brought attention to the importance of maintaining the momentum of denuclearization talks on the back of the outcome of the inter-Korean and US-North Korea summit meetings; and agreed to work closely together to that end.

° In particular, Minister Kang extended appreciation to the EU for, led by High Representative Mogherini, strongly supporting the ROK government’s Korean Peninsula policy; and for enforcing sanctions against North Korea and, at the same time, working to induce North Korea to denuclearization talks in line with its “critical engagement” policy. On that note, she asked the EU to remain supportive of the efforts to achieve a complete denuclearization and establish a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

° High Representative Mogherini, commending President Moon Jae-in’s leadership and determination for producing the recent positive progress in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, reaffirmed the EU’s full support and commitment to cooperation.

4. The two sides also exchanged views on the Iranian nuclear issue and other major issues in diverse regions of the world.

5. The ROK-EU foreign ministerial working luncheon is seen to have served as a good opportunity to review issues between the ROK and the EU, which mark the 55^th anniversary of diplomatic relations; to step up strategic communication and cooperation on the regional and global levels; and to build friendship and trust between the top diplomats of the two sides.

* unofficial translation