London, United Kingdom - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed the "Downing Street Accord" on Wednesday, significantly elevating their countries' security and economic relations. The accord, named after the location of the British Prime Minister's office in London, marks a commitment to jointly address challenges including North Korea's nuclear threat, strengthen supply chains, and ensure a sustainable future.
According to Yonhap News Agency, South Korea and the UK acknowledged the depth of their relations and outlined plans to strengthen collaboration across various domains. In security and defense, they agreed to establish a "two plus two" foreign and defense ministerial meeting, work on an MOU for deeper defense cooperation, and increase interoperability between their armed forces through bilateral exercises.
The agreement transforms the bilateral relationship to a "global strategic partnership," an upgrade from the "broad and creative partnership" established in 2013. This enhancement coincides with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Britain, celebrated during President Yoon's four-day state visit to London.
The countries plan to conduct joint patrols to enforce sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and establish a Strategic Cyber Partnership to counter and deter cyber threats. The accord strongly condemns North Korea's unlawful nuclear and missile development and calls for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible abandonment of its nuclear weapons and missile programs.
In science, technology, and trade, new partnerships and MOUs have been established, including in the digital sector, semiconductor cooperation, and space cooperation. The accord also highlights the importance of supply chain resilience, digital economy, and energy cooperation in upgrading the bilateral free trade agreement.
A bilateral Supply Chains Dialogue is set to be established by year-end to promote the resilience of critical supply chains, encompassing cutting-edge technologies, essential medical products, energy, and critical mineral resources.
The accord also commits to a South Korea-U.K. Clean Energy Partnership to collaborate on deploying clean energies like offshore wind and civil nuclear in both countries and third countries. Additionally, a Critical Minerals Joint Working Group will be established to enhance research and innovation collaboration and encourage partnerships between companies, industrial bodies, and academic institutions.
The Downing Street Accord signifies a significant step in strengthening the relationship between South Korea and the United Kingdom, aligning their efforts to address global challenges and setting a foundation for future cooperation.