![Kim Yoon-deok, South Korea’s minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, met with Ugo Astuto, the European Union’s ambassador to South Korea, on the 26th. [Photo=Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport]](https://contents-cdn.viewus.co.kr/image/2026/03/CP-2023-0070/image-58e4f22d-1aab-43db-91e2-f2118a5831a2.jpeg)
Kim Yoon-deok, South Korea’s minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, met with Ugo Astuto, the EU ambassador to South Korea, on the 26th to discuss expanded cooperation across the automotive and aviation sectors, research and development (R&D), and a green partnership. Both sides agreed to extend collaboration into autonomous driving, future mobility and R&D, and to sustain constructive dialogue going forward.
The ministry and the European Union have long operated policy dialogue channels to coordinate responses to global challenges like carbon reduction and digital transformation. They also work closely on joint projects aimed at aligning policies in aviation safety and traffic management.
Recently, under the ministry’s leadership and with support from the Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement (KAIA), South Korean research institutes have begun participating in EU multilateral R&D programs, advancing international research collaboration.
During the meeting, the EU delegation signaled strong interest in deeper cooperation on automotive and aviation issues, calling Korea an important European partner and expressing hopes that collaboration will expand beyond aviation safety to areas such as environmental initiatives and future mobility.
Kim said Korea is prioritizing the commercialization of autonomous vehicles as part of its push to develop a future mobility industry, and he expressed hope that Korea–EU cooperation on autonomous driving technologies and vehicle safety standards will help both partners secure global leadership.
He also said he expects to broaden cooperation on eco-friendly aviation policies and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
He emphasized gradually expanding R&D cooperation with the EU, urging stronger ties not only in urban innovation and green buildings but also in decarbonized future mobility, including autonomous driving and carbon-neutral road transport.
