The European Union and South Korea have signed an agreement to promote open and transparent digital trade between the two long-term economic partners.
"We are working together to strengthen economic security and drive innovation," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, after meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung.
The digital trade agreement complements a free trade deal in place between the EU and South Korea since 2011.
Under the new agreement, electronic contracts and electronic signatures will be legally recognized and enforceable.
In addition, the deal promotes online consumer protection rules, "facilitates cross-border data flows and prohibits the mandatory transfer of source code," a press release said.
In the EU, the European Parliament and member countries still need to formally approve the digital trade agreement.
Other topics discussed by Lee, von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa included economic resilience, security and defence cooperation and the transition to clean energy.
Bilateral trade in goods between the EU and South Korea totalled over €124 billion ($143 billion) in 2025. Bilateral trade in services was worth €33 billion in 2024.
The EU is South Korea's third-largest trading partner, while South Korea was the EU's eighth-largest supplier of imported goods, according to EU data.
