1. The 7th Republic of Korea–European Union Cyber Policy Consultation was held on Tuesday, May 20, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Youn Jong Kwon, Director-General for International Security of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Maciej Stadejek, Director for Security and Defence Policy at the European External Action Service (EEAS), led the EU delegation.

2. Participants included representatives from the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Intelligence Service’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the Korean National Police Agency, and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), as well as officials from the EEAS and the European Commission (EC)—each responsible for cybersecurity policy in their respective institutions.

3. This meeting marked the first in-person consultation in five years, following the 6th session held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It served as a platform for both sides to exchange views on cybersecurity policy trends and response frameworks amid a rapidly evolving global cyber threat landscape.

4. The ROK and the EU assessed the intensifying cybersecurity threat environment, identifying the characteristics of cyber threats posed by major actors, including cryptocurrency theft by North Korea. Both sides agreed on the importance of close coordination to effectively counter these threats.

5. Discussions also addressed ways to strengthen collaboration in multilateral fora such as the United Nations. In particular, the two sides agreed to work closely together toward building consensus at the upcoming 11th substantive session of the UN Open-ended Working Group on Information and Communication Technologies (OEWG on ICTs), scheduled for July 7–11.

6. Acknowledging the growing sophistication of cybercrime due to technological advancements, the participants emphasized the need for enhanced international cooperation in cybercrime investigations—particularly in light of the transnational nature of such crimes. They also discussed the Budapest Convention and the United Nations convention against cybercrime adopted in 2024 as key frameworks for international legal cooperation.

7. Additionally, the two sides exchanged views on countering malicious cyber activities through multilateral mechanisms such as the Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) and the Pall Mall Process on commercial spyware. They also reviewed developments in ongoing cybersecurity policy discussions across regional and international bodies, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

8. Both sides recognized the importance of supporting capacity-building efforts among regional partners to promote a peaceful, secure, and open cyberspace. They shared updates on their respective cyber capacity-building programs and explored potential areas for collaboration.

9. The ROK and the EU reaffirmed that cybersecurity has become an integral and independent pillar of international security. They agreed to continue developing the Cyber Policy Consultation as a comprehensive dialogue platform, bringing together key stakeholders to address a broad range of cybersecurity issues driven by emerging technologies.