Signal Korea joins Horizon Europe Pillar 2 and a 2025 bill proposes cooperation and research-security committees

Summary

Korea became eligible from 2025 to participate in Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe as an associated country, which the essay sees as a chance to diversify partners beyond a few countries and expand cooperation with Europe. On 3 November 2025 a bill on promoting international cooperation in science and technology was proposed in Korea. The bill specifies the creation of a strategy committee for international science and technology cooperation and a special committee on research security, institutionalising both promotion and research-security management. The author argues that effective governance requires broad participation by the scientific community and by experts in economic security, diplomacy and trade. These institutional steps are presented as the starting point for a whole-of-government approach to cooperation under securitisation.