Issue Approaching the EU as a long-term strategic partner rather than a substitute export market

Summary

The report's first recommendation is to see the EU not as a simple export market that can substitute for the United States or China, but as a long-term strategic partner for economic security and rule-making during a transition in the international order. Higher uncertainty in the US market does not automatically redirect Korean exports to Europe. The EU market offers scale and institutional stability, but tightening environmental, digital and supply-chain regulation and a more active industrial policy demand a high level of preparedness from exporters. Cooperation should therefore extend beyond trade volumes to supply chains, technology, regulation and international trade rules. Rather than merely preserving the gains of the existing FTA, the report concludes that the relationship should combine complementarity in strategic industries, supply-chain diversification, regulatory coherence and rules-based trade cooperation.