Lee, Starmer call for Korea-UK FTA upgrade
The Korea Herald - 18 June 2025
Lee, Starmer call for Korea-UK FTA upgrade
President Lee Jae Myung and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer recognized a need to upgrade the bilateral free trade agreement during their talks held on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada on Tuesday.
Lee told UK Prime Minister Starmer that he believed the ongoing negotiations over the Korea-UK FTA "should make some progress," in response to Starmer’s remarks that the modernization of the Korea-UK FTA is a matter associated with stronger bilateral ties.
The two countries’ free trade pact has been in effect since 2021, after the UK’s departure from the European Union, which was already a free trade partner of South Korea. Talks to renegotiate the bilateral trade pact have been ongoing since 2023, with the latest fourth round of negotiations having taken place in March.
The meeting was held on the margins of the Group of Seven summit at the Kananaskis village in Alberta Canada.
