South Korea Tells France: "Korea Should Be Included Among the EU's 'Trusted Partner Countries' Under the Industrial Acceleration Act"
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Holds Korea-France Industrial Cooperation Committee and Emerging Technology Cooperation Forum
Aimed at Strengthening Cooperation in Emerging Industries
Agree to Establish Korea-France Automotive Working Group
South Korea and France have agreed to significantly strengthen cooperation in emerging industries. The two countries agreed to establish an automotive working group, while the South Korean government used the occasion to urge France to actively support South Korea’s inclusion among the European Union’s (EU) trusted partner countries in connection with the EU’s Industrial Acceleration Act (IAA).
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said on November 4 that it would hold the 21st Korea-France Industrial Cooperation Committee and the 9th Emerging Technology Cooperation Forum at the Pullman Ambassador Seoul Hotel. The events were organized as follow-up measures to the president’s visit to France last September and are aimed at significantly strengthening Korea-France cooperation in emerging industries.
At the Industrial Cooperation Committee meeting, Kim Youngman, Director General for Trade Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Thomas Courbe, Director General of the Directorate General for Enterprises at France’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, attended as chief delegates. They exchanged views on the IAA, including its impact on the automotive industry, and shared key developments in advanced industries such as automotive, shipbuilding and biotechnology, as well as policies related to critical mineral supply chains.
South Korea urged France to actively support its inclusion among the EU’s trusted partner countries in connection with the IAA, which sets local-production requirements for public procurement and subsidies within the EU. South Korea also conveyed its concerns about the joint automotive declaration recently agreed upon bilaterally by France and Germany, and asked France to pay particular attention and provide cooperation to ensure that South Korean-made cars are not discriminated against in future discussions. Under the declaration, France and Germany would ease the EU’s 2035 vehicle emissions reduction target and conditionally include the United Kingdom in the definition of “Made in Europe”—that is, “European-made”—products eligible for public procurement or government subsidies.
On November 4, South Korea and France agreed to establish a Korea-France Automotive Working Group as a follow-up to the industrial cooperation memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two ministries during the president’s visit to France last September. In addition to France’s electric vehicle subsidy system, the working group will discuss industrial cooperation measures, including cooperation between the two countries on automotive supply chains. The two sides also shared their governments’ main industrial policy priorities in advanced industries such as automotive, shipbuilding and biotechnology, and discussed future cooperation in response to recent changes in global trade.
About 200 people attended the Emerging Technology Cooperation Forum, including organizations from both countries involved in joint research and development and industry, academic and research representatives interested in technology cooperation. Launched in 2014, the forum is being held for the ninth time this year. It provides an opportunity to share the results of bilateral technology cooperation and identify new joint research and development projects and partners.
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Kim Youngman, Director General for Trade Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, “This event provided an opportunity to turn agreements reached by the leaders on the occasion of the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France into tangible cooperation among businesses and research institutions. We will continue to expand cooperation between the two countries through government channels, including working groups on advanced industries and the Industrial Cooperation Committee, and actively support joint research and development (R&D) and the expansion of its outcomes into the market by combining South Korea’s manufacturing data foundation with France’s deep-tech capabilities in areas such as AI and quantum technology.”
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