South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and EU leaders strongly condemned illegal military cooperation between North Korea and Russia during summit talks in Brussels on June 10.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa at EU headquarters in Brussels. The leaders adopted a joint statement condemning Russia-DPRK military cooperation that enables Russia's aggression against Ukraine and called for immediate cessation in line with UN resolutions. The statement expressed grave concerns over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and urged full compliance with the NPT and IAEA safeguards. The leaders also reaffirmed support for freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and peace across the Taiwan Strait. Lee announced the launch of negotiations on a bilateral information security agreement and the signing of a digital trade pact. South Korea's e-commerce exports to the EU reached $84.5 million in 2024, up from $10.5 million in 2019.