Leaders of Korea, Netherlands declare ‘chip alliance,’ enhance strategic partnership

Diplomacy

Published: 14 Dec. 2023, 01:11 Updated: 14 Dec. 2023, 09:45

Leaders of Korea, Netherlands declare ‘chip alliance,’ enhance strategic partnership

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, speaks at a joint press briefing with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after their bilateral summit at Rutte's office in The Hague on Wednesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The leaders of Korea and the Netherlands declared the establishment of a chip alliance and a semiconductor dialogue channel aimed at enhancing supply chain resilience during their bilateral summit in The Hague on Wednesday.

"The two countries decided to strengthen strategic communication and policy coordination in the fields of economic security and supply chains," President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a joint press conference alongside Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "The two countries will establish a semiconductor alliance."

The two leaders held a bilateral summit at Rutte's office, their fourth such meeting since last year, during Yoon's five-day state visit to the Netherlands.

"The world's largest semiconductor equipment producer, the Netherlands, and Korea, a semiconductor manufacturing powerhouse, will be the leaders in the global supply chain, and both of the two countries will maximize our advantages and the effectiveness of the value of semiconductor cooperation," Yoon said.

"The strategic partnership is a new phase in our relationship building on a solid foundation of over 60 years of excellent ties," Rutte said. "Our countries are united when it comes to security and values. We are both committed to the international rule of law and well-functioning rules-based trade systems. So your country is a key partner and a trusted friend for the Netherlands in both the world in general and the Indo-Pacific region in particular."

Rutte said that the Netherlands "greatly appreciates Korea's support for Ukraine" in the war against Russia while noting that his country stands firmly behind the South when it comes to North Korea's aggressions.

"Let's not forget that the Republic of Korea is one of our four NATO partners in the Pacific, together with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, and that is a relationship that is growing closer," Rutte said. "So in this respect [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has, I believe, achieved the opposite of what he intended."

Noting that South Korea has been invited to take part in the NATO summit since last year, Yoon said strengthened defense cooperation with the Netherlands, a key NATO nation, will prove to be a "strong channel" for cooperation with NATO.

Yoon stressed that security in Europe, Northeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region are all "interconnected."

"Seven decades ago, the solidarity between the two countries was forged in blood during the [1950-53] Korean War," Yoon said. "We now have established a strategic partnership encompassing a variety of fields, including security, economy, culture and global agenda."

Rutte, in turn, said regarding bilateral relations, "I think our personal cooperation and friendship, can I say, is really bringing this to a level I have not seen before with Korea."

Yoon is the first Korean president to make a state visit to the Netherlands since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1961.

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte make a toast during a government lunch in The Hague on Wednesday during Yoon’s state visit to the Netherlands. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The two leaders issued a joint statement after the summit, which "reaffirmed their commitment to build a semiconductor alliance," encompassing the participation of governments, businesses and universities.

Yoon said the statement will "open a new chapter in bilateral relations that will materialize our strategic partnership."

In the statement, the two leaders "recognized their common interest in monitoring disruptions to critical items and ensuring the resilience of supply chains." To this end, they agreed to promote inter-governmental exchange of knowledge and information regarding the supply chain of critical items.

The two countries established a bilateral semiconductor dialogue and a "semiconductor talent program," continuing to expand business-to-business cooperation.

Korea and the Netherlands further agreed to intensify existing bilateral dialogues and exchanges, including launching a biennial two plus two foreign and industry high-level ministerial dialogue to deepen their "strategic partnership relationship."

They highlighted that carbon-free energy sources, including nuclear, renewables and hydrogen, are "imperative to achieving carbon neutrality and enhancing energy security."

The leaders agreed to cooperate in the nuclear energy sector, such as the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, nuclear fuel and innovation of gigawatt-scale nuclear reactors, small modular reactors and other advanced nuclear reactors.

They also underscored that as "geopolitical partners," they are committed to strengthening their cooperation in areas like economic security and the law of the sea to contribute to global peace, prosperity and security and promote "Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic partnerships."

The state visit, they said, is a "stepping stone" to further improve their bilateral relations, calling for concrete steps, initiatives and agreements in political, defense, security, socio-economic, cultural, regional and multilateral domains.

They also agreed to expand cultural cooperation, including supporting an ongoing collaboration between the Arts Council Korea and the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten.a

Earlier Wednesday, Yoon met with Jan Anthonie Bruijn, president of the Dutch Senate, and Raymond de Roon, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands, during a visit to the States General, the Dutch Parliament, in The Hague.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]