Who we are
Welcome to the official website of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Korea (RoK). The EU is represented and is located in the RoK’s capital city of Seoul. The EU and the RoK established diplomatic relations in 1963, which were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2010.
The EU continues to consolidate its position as the RoK’s 3rd largest trade partner in goods and the RoK remains the 8th largest trading partner for the EU. The RoK is the EU’s first country to have concluded the 3 key agreements covering political, trade and security cooperation: a Framework Agreement, Free Trade Agreement and Crisis Management and Participation Agreement. Since 2023, the EU and the RoK established 4 key partnership: health, digital, green and security and defence partnerships. The EU has been an avid supporter of the Korean and international efforts in establishing peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
On This Page
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EU Delegation to Korea building with EU and Korea flags projected.
Copyright: EU Delegation to Korea (Jungyoon Kim).
What we do
- To represent the Union, as appropriate, in the Republic of Korea.
- To inform the European Union on political, social, economic, external relations and trade developments in the Republic of Korea and, in this regard, to maintain contact with the principal players in the fields of politics and public life generally, the economy, business, civil society and higher education.
- To ensure a smooth and fruitful development of bilateral relations in the political, economic, commercial and co-operation fields and to seek to develop and encourage initiatives to promote co-operation under the Framework Agreement.
- To monitor and ensure implementation of the EU-Republic of Korea Free Trade Agreement.
- To promote and protect the EU’s interests and values and to spread knowledge and raise awareness of developments in the EU, its policies, purposes and aims with a view to engendering a better understanding of EU affairs and establishing a higher profile for the EU.
- To promote the EU’s policies in all areas.
- To foster close co-operation on EU matters with Member States’ missions via regular meetings at Ambassador, Counsellor, Information and Administration Officer levels.
- To carry out press and information activities in pursuit of the above objectives.
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Ambassador's Biography
Ugo ASTUTO, European official diplomat of Italian nationality, is the Ambassador-Designate of the European Union to the Republic of Korea since September, 2025.
He entered the Italian Diplomatic Service in 1991. Since then, he has served in Italian Embassies in Nairobi and London, in the Permanent Representation in Brussels and in the Embassy in Delhi. From February 2013 until July 2016 he was seconded to the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, first as Director for South and South East Asia and then as Deputy Managing Director/Director for Asia and the Pacific. Then until 2019, he was the Principal Director for Asia in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome. From 2019 to 2023, he served as the Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to India and Bhutan. Up until coming to Korea, he served as Alternate Political Director for G7/G20 matters in Rome.
Mr.Astuto holds a Degree in Political Science from the University of Rome "La Sapienza," where his studies concentrated on History, International Law, and Economics. Additionally, he underwent specialized training at the Società Italiana per l’Organizzazione Internazionale (SIOI) in Rome, which prepared him for a successful entrance into the Italian Foreign Service.
His mother tongue is Italian, but he is fluent in English and French, with basic knowledge of German.
Our Office
Ambassador, Head of Delegation
H.E. Ugo ASTUTO
Deputy Head of Delegation/Head of Political Section
Head of Trade section
Head of Administration
Press and Information Officer