Unification minister asks for EU's support for Seoul's peace efforts on Korean Peninsula

▲ Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (R) shakes hands with Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, during their meeting at the Ministry of Unification in Seoul on Feb. 19, 2026, in this photo provided by Chung's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

unification minister-EU official

Unification minister asks for EU's support for Seoul's peace efforts on Korean Peninsula

SEOUL, Feb. 19 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young met with a senior European Union (EU) official Thursday and asked for the EU's support for Seoul's efforts to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, Chung's office said.

Chung met with Olof Skoog, deputy secretary-general of the European External Action Service, the EU's diplomatic arm, to exchange views on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.

"Chung explained the government's efforts toward peaceful coexistence to help create a stable environment on the Korean Peninsula and asked for the EU's active attention and cooperation in the initiative," the ministry said.

Skoog expressed "active support" for Seoul's peace initiatives and said he would remain in close communication with the South Korean side, it added.

On Wednesday, Chung said South Korea will seek to reinstate a no-fly zone over the border with North Korea under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact aimed at easing tensions as part of efforts to prevent accidental clashes and build trust between the two militaries.

Ahead of the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Chung Eui-hye and Skoog held the ninth Korea-EU High-Level Political Dialogue to discuss security issues concerning the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine and the Middle East, the ministry said.

The deputy minister said South Korea and the EU are expanding the scope of cooperation into the security and digital sectors and expressed hope for tangible outcomes through high-level exchanges and practical cooperation. Skoog, in turn, expressed hope that both sides would continue cooperation on major issues and in bilateral relations, according to the foreign ministry.

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