1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha held a dinner meeting with the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) and Ambassadors of EU member states to the Republic of Korea (ROK) on January 30 and exchanged views on ways to advance the ROK-EU relations after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU, or Brexit, cooperation on the 2nd Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G) Summit to take place in Seoul, the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia, and ways to respond to the novel coronavirus.

2. In her opening remarks at the meeting, Minister Kang voiced hope that the ROK and the EU, which have advanced cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1963, will continue close communication and cooperation in 2020 as well through active high-level exchanges, among others, and further step up cooperation on important diplomatic issues, including the P4G Summit and Brexit.

° Minister Kang explained the ROK government’s all-out efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus and expressed hope for close communication and cooperation with the EU diplomats to the ROK in this regard.

° The Minister also voiced hope that in 2020, when the implementation of the Paris Agreement will start in earnest, the ROK and the EU will make leading contributions to the fight against climate change, asking for the EU’s keen attention and support for the success of the 2nd P4G Summit in June.

3. In his response remarks, EU Ambassador to the ROK Michael Reiterer noted with appreciation that the ROK and the EU, which share universal values, have deepened their strategic partnership across sectors on the basis of the three major bilateral agreements* and reaffirmed the EU’s support for the efforts of the ROK government to establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.

* The three major ROK-EU agreements are the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Framework Agreement and the Crisis Management Participation Agreement.

° Ambassador Reiterer also expressed hope that the ROK and the EU will continue to expand cooperation in the areas of climate change and connectivity.

4. At the meeting, Acting Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission Kim Il-Jae introduced the ROK government’s efforts to protect personal information, including the recent passage of the revised Protection of Personal Information Act at the National Assembly, and asked for the EU’s special attention and cooperation in accelerating the ongoing ROK-EU consultations on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) adequacy assessment.

5. Minister Kang shared assessments of the recent developments regarding the situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as outlooks on dialogue between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; the ROK government’s contribution to such international issues as climate change and development cooperation; the recent developments in the Middle East, including the Islamic Republic of Iran; and the current situation in Northeast Asia, including between the ROK and Japan and between the ROK and the People’s Republic of China. She also explained the ROK government’s policies in these areas.

6. The meeting with the Ambassadors from EU member states is seen to have served as an opportunity to review the direction of the ROK government’s policy toward the EU and to draw again the EU’s continued attention to and support for the 2^nd P4G Summit and the ROK government’s Korean Peninsula policy.