EU welcomes Lee's visit, calls South Korea 'like-minded partner' as summit nears

Interest in cooperation with South Korea is growing within the EU as it prepares to host the country's head of state for the first time in eight years.

President Lee Jae-myung arrived in Brussels, Belgium — home to EU headquarters — on Tuesday afternoon (local time) to begin a two-day visit. Ahead of summit talks with EU leaders scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, the EU held a press briefing Tuesday at the Europa Building, the seat of the Council of the EU, saying the meeting would deepen cooperation between the two sides.

EU officials said the bloc and South Korea had already built close ties across a wide range of areas, including the economy, security, digital policy, energy and science and technology. The two sides concluded a free trade agreement in 2011, then strengthened ties through a Framework Agreement in 2014 and a Framework Participation Agreement on crisis management activities in 2016. In 2024, they signed a security and defense partnership, establishing a strategic partnership. The two sides also plan to finalize a Digital Trade Agreement on the sidelines of this week's summit.

European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will jointly receive Lee at Wednesday's summit. In a press release, Costa said the EU and South Korea were "like-minded partners sharing common values of democracy, the rule of law, and open and fair trade," adding that the summit "will be an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to working together to promote peace and stability and to further strengthen our prosperous economic relationship."

After arriving in Brussels on Monday afternoon, Lee held a dinner meeting with members of the Korean community — the first time a South Korean president has hosted such a gathering in Brussels. On Wednesday, he is set to begin the day with summit talks with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever, followed by an audience with King Philippe of Belgium, before the EU summit in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, large billboards welcoming the South Korean president's first visit in eight years went up across Brussels. Samsung Electronics placed outdoor advertisements in hangul and French near Brussels Zaventem Airport, where the plane carrying Lee and his delegation landed, as well as in the city center. The ads featured the taeguk symbol alongside the Samsung logo.