Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung from the Democratic Party of Korea (DP) was sworn in as South Korea’s new president on Wednesday, 4 June 2025, following a snap election. Official results showed Lee winning by nearly three million votes (9% of the total votes) ahead of his main opponent, Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party (PPP).
The EU-Indonesia Free Trade Agreement negotiations represent the need for a fundamental balance between economic pragmatism and environmental responsibility. This exemplifies the broader challenges of global trade in the 21st century, with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) bearing a major part of the disproportionate burden created by these contradictory demands.
The global inter-state cooperation landscape is changing. In this regard, the geopolitical situation detonated by the outbreak of the war in Ukraine has produced two main areas of convergence between Europe and Northeast Asia. First, shifting geopolitical alliances and security challenges have fostered a renewed understanding of defence in all its facets in both regions. Second, thanks to their engagement through NATO and strengthened bilateral cooperation, the EU, Japan, and South Korea are also gaining momentum for enhanced trilateral security cooperation. In doing so, the three partners may be facing an array of challenges, but the opportunities for collaboration are present and continue to be growing.
