UNJournal Jon Lee |  President Yoon Suk-yeol received British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Oct. 21 and exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral relations between South Korea and the United Kingdom.

President Yoon assessed the close high-level communication between the two countries, including the summit with new British Prime Minister David Cameron on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in July, and expressed his hope that the two countries will further strengthen cooperation as “global strategic partners” in various fields in accordance with the “Downing Street Accord” agreed upon during his state visit in November last year.

Lammy thanked the President for his hospitality and said that at a time when the United Kingdom is resetting its relations with major countries, there is no need for a new relationship with South Korea, and that as the new minister, he will actively work to promote closer cooperation between the two countries.

Foreign Secretary Lammy said that Russia's reckless and illegal behavior, including the provision of fake passports to attract North Korean troops, seriously threatens the security of Europe and South Korea, and that the UK will actively work with South Korea to take the necessary measures together with the international community.
In response, the President shared recent security developments on the Korean Peninsula, including information on North Korea's deployment of Russian forces and Russo-North Korean cooperation, and said he would continue to work closely with the UK and NATO. 

In particular, the President suggested that South Korea and the United Kingdom strategically expand their defense cooperation in the naval and air domains, to which Lammy strongly agreed.

Lammy also expressed his hope that advanced defense technology cooperation between South Korea and AUKUS will be strengthened at the Pillar II level.

In addition, the President and Foreign Secretary Lammy agreed to link cooperation on the development of carbon-free energy to achieve the '2050 Net Zero' goal with cooperation on advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), as part of efforts to respond to the climate crisis and energy transition.