EU-South Korea security relations: The current state of play

Abstract:

The EU and South Korea both face challenging circumstances in the domestic and international arenas. The EU is focused on Eurozone instability, terrorism, political extremism, revisionist Russia, and crises in the MENA. South Korea, under the new, center-left presidency of Moon Jae In, is fighting to emerge from political corruption, economic malaise, and the cloud of North Korea’s threats. Despite all this, the EU and South Korea are underappreciated international security partners. In this Security Policy Brief, Mason Richey discusses the strengths and weaknesses of EU-South Korea security cooperation, and identifies areas for continued strengthening of this partnership.