“The security of Europe and the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific is the indivisible two sides of the same coin. In an uncertain world, continued cooperation with Korea is one of the UK's top priorities.”


Catherine West, UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (Parliamentary Under-Secretary), made these remarks in an interview with the Dong-A Ilbo on the 19th. Following the docking of a British naval frigate at Busan Port this month, a carrier strike group is scheduled to visit Korea next month as part of a regional tour. Minister West described this as a “tangible signal” of the UK's willingness to cooperate and emphasized the intention to strengthen economic and security cooperation with Korea under this administration.

Korea has expressed its intention to participate in 'Pillar 2,' the second phase of collaboration to jointly develop advanced military capabilities within the trilateral security partnership 'AUKUS' involving the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. However, the future operational approach of the agreement has become uncertain, with recent mentions of a review of the AUKUS agreement by the second Trump administration in the United States.

When asked if Korea was discussed, Minister West responded, “AUKUS is a long-term project and is still in its early stages,” adding, “When the time is right to cooperate, we can discuss related areas.” She further stated, “Korea is a great friend, and it would be wonderful if Korea participates when the timing is right.”


The day before the interview, Minister West participated in the Korea-UK High-Level Economic Dialogue, which resumed after two and a half years. She described it as a “very positive conversation” and reported discussions on diversifying areas of economic cooperation between the two countries. She added, “The relationship between Korea and the UK is increasingly strengthening in areas such as human exchange, digital, and security. The economies of both countries are complementary,” and mentioned that a high-level forum for multi-sector cooperation is being pursued.

Minister West is the first high-ranking official from the UK Foreign Office to visit Korea since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Following the agreement between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Lee at the G7 Summit in June to complete the FTA revision within the year, she explained that Douglas Alexander, Minister of Trade Policy (Parliamentary Under-Secretary), will visit Korea next month to advance the discussions.

Minister West remarked, “The UK government was established a year ago, and the Korean government took over negotiation authority six months ago. It is now time to deepen what was inherited from the previous government,” adding, “Trade is a long-term business that spans governments.”

She identified advanced technology, defense industry, and energy as promising areas for cooperation between Korea and the UK. Minister West, who mentioned owning a Kia car, stated, “The UK is a leader in wind and solar energy, and Korea is very advanced in high-tech fields such as mobile phones and automobiles. These are areas where we can cooperate more.”

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