South Korea and the European Union held their first space security dialogue to enhance cooperation in countering escalating threats in outer space, as part of ongoing efforts for closer security alignment.

The tighter cooperation comes amid the increasing interconnection of security between the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, as well as a shifting security landscape under US President Donald Trump, who has distanced himself from Ukraine and urged allies to increase defense spending to enhance burden-sharing.

Youn Jong-kwon, director general for international security at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, and EU Special Envoy for Space Marjolijn van Deelen held the space security dialogue in Brussels on Monday, the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said Tuesday.

The dialogue was a follow-up measure to the bilateral Security and Defense Partnership signed in November 2024 at a meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Josep Borrell, who was then the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, in Seoul.

During the dialogue, the Korean side “emphasized the need for close cooperation with the EU and other like-minded countries in response to escalating North Korean threats in space,” the Foreign Ministry in Seoul said in a written statement.

“Both sides shared assessments of various space threats, reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation in developing rules on space security and agreed to explore concrete ways to enhance space security cooperation at the bilateral level between Korea and the EU,” the statement read. “Both sides agreed to regularize the Korea-EU space security dialogue and further deepen cooperation in the field of space security.”

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and the Federal Foreign Office of Germany also launched the first-ever Korea-Germany Indo-Pacific Dialogue on Monday at the Foreign Ministry building in Seoul.

Both sides exchanged views on the current situation and challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and its interconnectedness with European security, as well as key policies including cybersecurity. The two agreed to continue exploring concrete cooperation measures to jointly contribute to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on Monday.

The EU and South Korea have been drawn closer especially on security, as the interlinkage between Indo-Pacific and European security becomes clearer and discernible, a move highlighted by North Korea’s large-scale deployment of troops to aid Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

European security dynamics are changing, as Trump has challenged the collective security arrangements of NATO, the European and North American alliance led by America. Trump has repeatedly warned that the US would not defend NATO member states unless they allocate 5 percent of their gross domestic product to defense spending, prompting calls from European countries to strengthen their own defenses.

Seoul, in that sense, views South Korea’s strategic value as a major arms exporter as having grown for European countries.

At such a critical juncture, Cho made his first bilateral visit to Europe since taking office in January 2024, traveling to Poland and France last week.

Cho notably visited Poland, a major buyer of South Korean weapons, marking the first official visit by a South Korean foreign minister in 18 years at the invitation of a Polish foreign minister.

Cho met with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on March 5 and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on March 6, followed by a courtesy visit with Polish President Andrzej Duda. Duda, on the same day, praised the swift delivery of Korea-produced weapons during his joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

The talks between Cho and Sikorski were security-focused, with the Polish Foreign Ministry emphasizing that “much of the discussions centered on the security situation in Europe and the Asia-Pacific.”

Seoul said Cho and Sikorski “agreed to continue pursuing defense cooperation unwaveringly as optimal strategic partners in defense and security” and “further strengthen transregional security cooperation within the NATO-IP4 partnership framework.” The Indo-Pacific Four refers to Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea, four NATO partners.

On Friday, Cho met with the diplomatic adviser to the French president, Emmanuel Bonne, and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris. Cho’s two separate talks covered security issues including negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Russia-North Korea military cooperation and the Trump administration’s impact on European security, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

“Minister Cho’s visit to France is seen as an opportunity to deepen strategic communication between the two countries amid geopolitical tectonic shifts shaping a new international order,” Seoul added.

Wrapping up his visit to Europe on Friday, Cho said, “There is significant interest in strengthening security cooperation with South Korea.”

Cho further noted that “with the inauguration of the second Trump administration and the rapidly shifting international landscape, the need for solidarity between like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific and Europe is growing.”

— In association with Asia News Network