Fourth round of Korea-UK FTA enhancement talks slated for March 10-14 in London
Business Korea - 10 March 2025
Fourth round of Korea-UK FTA enhancement talks slated for March 10-14 in London
By Jung Min-hee
The fourth round of enhancement negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the United Kingdom will take place from March 10 to 14 in London.
On March 10, the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE) announced that the negotiations will be led by Kwon Hye-jin, director general for FTA negotiations, representing South Korea, and Adam Penn, deputy director of business and trade for the UK, with a total delegation of over 60 representatives from both countries participating.
South Korea and the UK previously implemented a bilateral FTA in 2021, maintaining the same level of trade relations as the Korea-European Union (EU) FTA. Since 2023, the two nations have been working on enhancement negotiations to reflect new and improved trade norms in response to deepening economic cooperation, investment, and trade relations, as well as emerging trade fields such as trade and gender equality, digital trade, and the bioeconomy.
The fourth round of negotiations will cover 13 subcommittees, including detailed discussions on goods agreements, supply chains, digital trade, government procurement, and the bioeconomy. A MOTIE official stated, “With increasing uncertainty in the global trade environment, strengthening cooperation between South Korea and the UK is more crucial than ever. In this round of negotiations, we will focus on improving business-friendly rules of origin, enhancing biotechnology and supply chain collaboration, and establishing digital trade regulations.
