Foreign Secretary's meeting with Foreign Minister Kang of South Korea, 29 September 2020: summary
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab met Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of South Korea in Seoul during his trip to the Indo-Pacific region.
The Foreign Secretary used his meeting with Foreign Minister Kang to discuss both countries’ ambition to enhance and elevate the bilateral relationship between the UK and South Korea, building on our shared values and mutual interests, as part of the UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt.
On COVID-19, they discussed the need for an international response to develop the vaccines and treatments that will help tackle the pandemic.
On trade, they discussed how we could build on the already extensive trade flows between the 2 countries and develop new opportunities beyond the continuity free trade agreement (FTA) agreed last year – with particular priorities for an enhanced FTA including covering tech and data.
They discussed climate change and the green recovery, in the context of the UK’s presidency of COP26 and the G7 next year. They also discussed working together to deliver more sustainable future development programmes.
Finally, they discussed areas of security co-operation, including in the areas of cyber, maritime security and regional stability, and the importance of upholding the international rule of law and human rights.
Both reflected on the 70th anniversary of the Korean War and the role played in the conflict by more than 80,000 British servicemen and women.