South Korea, Visegrad 4 countries upgrade successful economic collaboration during president’s visit

Reading Time: < 1 minute

South Korea’s president and representatives of the Visegrad 4 (V4) group countries have pledged to boost their economic cooperation in the fields of electric vehicles, batteries and infrastructure, among others. In their meeting at the V4-Korea Business Forum on 3 November, President Moon Jae-in and the leaders of Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia signed seven memorandums of understanding (MOU) covering green, digital and bio-science sectors.

All sides are hoping to upgrade their economic activity, which has solid foundations. According to South Korea’s Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, the country’s trade volume with the Visegrad countries reached USD 16.8 billion last year despite the pandemic. The V4 countries are also host to numerous South Korean companies and receive significant foreign direct investment from Korea. Major battery producers like Samsung, LG, and SK have set up production within the region and continue to expand.

Earlier this year, Korea’s SK Innovation announced it would open its third European battery facility in Hungary, complementing the other two in the country. Out of the 152 South Korean production subsidiaries in Europe, 136 are in the V4 region. Meanwhile, the V4 economies continue to grow and are some of South Korea’s biggest export markets.

President Moon offered: “This is only the beginning. V4 is growing most dynamically in Europe based on its excellent workforce and geographical advantages, connecting Eastern and Western Europe. South Korea, with strengths in high-tech manufacturing, hopes to grow with V4.”

Earlier this week, president Moon signed another MOU on bilateral cooperation with Slovakia regarding a potential delivery of defense training aircraft from Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. for USD 500 million, also meeting with his Hungarian counterpart and discussing defense cooperation with Hungary on his visit to Budapest.

Sources: Arirang, Korea Herald, KoreaJoongAng Daily

CET Editor

Recent Posts

Poland to focus on security, regional cooperation during upcoming EU rotating presidency

Polish government representatives outlined the key priorities for its six-month stint holding the presidency of…

6 days ago

Bulgaria, Romania to join Schengen free travel area

Romania and Bulgaria are set to become full members of the Schengen Area on 1…

6 days ago

Slovenia tightens border as EU pledges migration revamp

Slovenia has announced an increase in border controls with Croatia and Hungary, citing national security and escalating concerns over…

6 days ago

Poland leads CEE on media subscriptions – Reuters institute report

Digital news consumption in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is transforming, driven by evolving audience…

6 days ago

FDI paints rosier picture for Poland, Romania – OECD report

Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries are still navigating post-pandemic economic challenges amid newer geopolitical…

2 weeks ago

Statistics Austria sees prosperity in decline

Austria's economy has contracted for the sixth quarter in a row, and there has been…

2 weeks ago