1. Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Choi Youngsam had the 7th Korea-Netherlands Policy Consultation with the Director-General for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, Marcel de Vink, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul on June 20, and exchanged views on issues of mutual interests, including Korea-Netherlands bilateral relations, global and regional issues, and cooperation on the international stage.

2. The two sides noted with satisfaction that Korea and the Netherlands have been developing close cooperation in a wide range of areas, including political, economic and global issues, since the establishment of the Strategic Partnership on the occasion of the bilateral summit last year (November 2022, Seoul). As like-minded countries that share universal values such as freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, the two sides looked forward to further strengthening strategic cooperation in the fields of defense, economic security, and emerging security including AI and cyber security.

3. In particular, the two sides agreed on the importance of bilateral cooperation for global supply chain management and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the field of economic security. The two sides also appreciated growing cooperation in the semiconductor industry, notably ASML's investment in Korea, and agreed to continue close communication between the two governments for further development of cooperation in this field. 

4. The two sides exchanged views on global and regional issues including the Korean Peninsula. Deputy Minister Choi expressed his gratitude for the Netherlands’ support for the ROK's North Korea policy including the Audacious Initiative. The two sides strongly condemned North Korea's continued military provocations and agreed to reinforce bilateral and multilateral cooperation, including on the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, to achieve the complete denuclearization of North Korea. Furthermore, reaffirming the importance of international solidarity to end the war in Ukraine and restore peace, the two sides agreed to continue to take part in international cooperation for that. Considering freedom, peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific are closely connected to those in Europe, the two sides agreed to explore concrete ways to cooperate in implementing their respective Indo-Pacific Strategies.

5. Director-General De Vink extended congratulations on Korea's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and looked forward to strengthening solidarity and cooperation in international fora. Deputy Minister Choi expressed his gratitude for the Netherlands' support for Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in Busan, and looked forward to continued cooperation with the Netherlands in efforts to host the 2030 Expo. 

6. The 7th Korea-Netherlands Policy Consultation served as an opportunity to discuss in depth ways to further develop the bilateral relationship which was elevated to Strategic Partnership last year and to reaffirm solidarity to address global challenges based on universal values.