Varadkar to raise climate change and global security with South Korean president

Series of meetings will be held to open up new trade, investment and education links between countries

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is to travel to South Korea on Thursday to join three senior Government ministers who have travelled to strengthen trade and relations.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is set to raise climate change, global security and threats to democracy in a high-level meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Mr Varadkar is to travel to South Korea on Thursday to join three senior Government ministers who have travelled to strengthen trade and relations.

Trade Minister Simon Coveney, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue will meet decision-makers and hold a series of meetings to open up new trade, investment and education links with the world’s 12th largest economy and the fourth largest economy in Asia.

Speaking ahead of the visit, the Taoiseach said: “During the week, I will meet with President Yoon to discuss how we can strengthen our partnership. I will also raise the wide range of areas where Ireland and Korea are already working together such as climate change, global insecurity, threats to democracy and the rule of law. 

I will also meet the heads of Korean companies who have invested in Ireland, creating jobs and investing in communities.

“Team Ireland Trade Mission Week is a new approach to promote broader trade, investment and enterprise priorities, to help Irish companies access this important Asian market, and encourage foreign direct investment into Ireland. It will also mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Republic of Korea.”

Ministers Coveney and McConalogue will begin the programme with an Enterprise Ireland breakfast event on Wednesday, which will see engagement by EI clients with their in-market distributors, partners and an EI Korea Advisory Panel. Mr Coveney said there were a number of EI client companies here to pitch to Korean companies and investors.

He added: “The EU-Korea free trade agreement provides Irish companies with access to a market of over 50 million people. A large proportion of our €5bn per year in two-way trade with Korea is business to business. There is huge scope to grow this, building on the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement, and the imminent accession of Korea to the EU research framework Horizon Europe. The possibilities are endless."

Mr McConalogue said he and the Taoiseach would be raising the expansion of access into the beef market in Korea during their engagements with the Korean government.

Mr Harris is to announce a new Ireland-Korea English Language Student Alumni Network and Student Ambassador Scholarship scheme. The scholarship will see the successful Korean students invited to participate on an English language course during the month of March next year at one of the participating schools to coincide with the St Patrick's Day Festival.