The European Union and South Korea on Wednesday signed a digital trade agreement aimed at simplifying cross-border digital transactions and strengthening economic ties. The deal was reached at their first summit in three years.

The digital agreement, along with other cooperative measures on sharing classified security information and passenger data, reflects both parties’ efforts to build new alliances and reinforce existing partnerships.

This comes at a time of heightened global uncertainty, including U.S. tariffs, Chinese export restrictions, and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Key features of the digital deal

Building on a free-trade agreement that came into force in 2011, the new digital pact seeks to:

• Facilitate cross-border data flows
• Recognise electronic contracts and signatures
• Establish consumer protection rules

The agreement is expected to lower costs for businesses and boost trade in services. Currently, the EU is South Korea’s third-largest trading partner in goods, while South Korea ranks as the EU’s eighth-largest.

The deal highlights the EU’s ambition to set global standards for digital trade, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region. The EU has already signed digital agreements with Singapore, Japan, and digital components in trade deals with the UK, Chile, and New Zealand.

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Growth of digital services

According to the World Trade Organization, digitally delivered services trade in 2025 was approximately five times higher than in 2005, with 10% growth over the past three years, outpacing goods and other services trade. The EU is the world’s largest services exporter, nearly half of which are digital.

The agreement will require approval from the European Parliament before coming into full effect.

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