Yesterday I could notice how strong the group that represents
South Korea’s interests is in Brussels. They are very well connected with the European
External Action Service and with the Universities of Brussels and Leuven as
well as with other think tanks. It is true that South Korea is considered a
strategic partner of the EU. It is also true that Europe is a bit confused
sometimes and calls a number of countries “strategic partners”, which makes the
concept weak. EU cannot have a strategic partner in every street of the world,
it makes no sense. Strategic for what?
Trade is a major area of focus for the partnership between
the EU and Korea. A Free Trade Agreement has been under implementation since
July 2011. That has seriously boosted the exchanges between the two sides. But,
as expected, on the European side it has been Germany the main winner of the
new opportunities.
On the political front, South Korea would certainly like to
see the EU playing a more vigorous role towards North Korea. The fact of the
matter, however, is that Pyongyang is far away from Brussels’ limited outreach
in East Asia. EU is no real power player in that part of the world.
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