By Diplomacy Journal Lee Gil-ju

Ambassador Yoon Jong-kwon, Director-General for International Cyber Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ambassador Chung Sung-hoon, Military Representative to NATO and the EU at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to Belgium (representing the Ministry of National Defense), held the first Korea-EU Security and Defense Dialogue in Brussels on December 11 with Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Director of the Peace, Security and Defense Division, European External Action Service (EEAS).

They shared assessments of the current international security situation and discussed implementation measures for the Korea-EU Security and Defense Partnership.

This Security and Defense Dialogue is the first such meeting held to implement the Korea-EU Security and Defense Partnership adopted last November. The Korean side is represented by co-chief representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, while the EU side is represented by the Director of the EEAS Directorate for Peace, Security and Defense.

Participants from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and the National Cyber Security Center of the National Intelligence Service attended this meeting.

Both sides agreed that this Security and Defense Dialogue, held amid a geopolitical situation where European and Asia-Pacific security are closely interlinked, is highly timely and important.

They decided to continue advancing cooperative projects in key areas including ▴defense industry, ▴arms control and non-proliferation, ▴cybersecurity, and ▴maritime security.

Both sides acknowledged several achievements this year, including the holding of policy consultations in three areas—disarmament and non-proliferation, space, and cyber—and the EU's participation in the multinational naval exercise (Bell Buoy) hosted by the Republic of Korea Navy.

They agreed to strengthen joint efforts to address growing global security threats based on their security and defense partnership.