César Luena, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Korean Peninsula, speaks during a one-on-one interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, May 29. Courtesy of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea
The European Parliament and South Korea’s National Assembly should play a greater role in strengthening bilateral ties as Seoul and Brussels deepen cooperation across a range of strategic areas amid growing geopolitical uncertainty, according to César Luena, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Korean Peninsula (DKOR).
Luena recently led an 11-member European Parliament delegation to Seoul at what he described as a pivotal moment in Korea-EU relations, with President Lee Jae Myung expected to visit Europe later this month.
He stressed that parliamentary diplomacy can serve as a key pillar of the South Korea-EU partnership by sustaining political engagement beyond government-to-government relations. While governments negotiate and implement policies, Luena noted legislatures provide a complementary channel by representing citizens’ priorities and helping maintain long-term cooperation.
“The National Assembly represents Korean society,” he said during a one-on-one interview with The Korea Times in Seoul. “We, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) represent European citizens. Parliamentary exchanges help maintain communication channels that complement government-to-government diplomacy," he said.
