Factsheet: EU-Republic of Korea Summit (Brussels, 6 October 2010)

The European Union is committed to pursuing its collaboration with the Republic of Korea and to strengthening their partnership, as demonstrated by the fifth EU-Korea Summit which tooke place in Brussels on 6 October 2010, back-to-back with the ASEM Summit.

The EU was represented by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and by José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. The Republic of Korea was represented by President Lee Myung-bak.

EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Steven Vanackere representing the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), and the Korean Minister for Trade Kim Jong-hoon signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the EU and South Korea at the Summit. The FTA is the most ambitious trade agreement ever negotiated by the EU and the first with an Asian country.

• Primary Source

Deutsche Welle, 6.10.10: EU signs major free trade agreement with South Korea http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,6083993,00.html

ESO: Background information: EU-South Korea trade deal 'extremely close' http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-south-korea-trade-deal-extremely-close/

European Commission: Press Release, IP/10/1292: EU and South Korea sign free trade deal http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1292&format=PDF&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: DG Trade: Bilateral relations: South Korea http://ec.europa.eu/trade/creating-opportunities/bilateral-relations/countries/korea/

European Commission: Speech/10/520: José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, "Statement of President Barroso following the 5th EU-Korea Summit Joint press conference with Mr Herman van Rompuy, President of the European Council and Mr Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea", Brussels http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/10/520&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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