LONDON, Nov. 22 -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak signed the "Downing Street Accord" on Wednesday, raising the two countries' security and economic ties to the highest level as they vowed to jointly confront North Korea's nuclear threat, strengthen supply chains and ensure a sustainable future.
The accord was signed following a summit between the two leaders at the prime minister's office in London, the address of which -- 10 Downing Street -- inspired its name.
The agreement called for elevating bilateral ties to a "global strategic partnership" from the current "broad and creative partnership" established in 2013, as the two countries celebrated the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations with Yoon's four-day state visit to London.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shake hands during their summit at 10 Downing Street in London on Nov. 22, 2023.
"Relations between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the United Kingdom (UK) are at their closest since they were established," the accord said. "Reflecting the next phase of the partnership between our two nations, the ROK and the UK are today signing a new Downing Street Accord to strengthen and deepen our collaboration across security and defense, science and technology, prosperity and trade and energy security."
In security and defense, the two countries agreed to establish a "two plus two" foreign and defense ministerial meeting to better address regional and global challenges, work to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on developing a comprehensive institutional framework for deeper defense cooperation, and increase interoperability between their armed forces through further bilateral exercises.
In addition, the accord called for conducting joint patrols to enforce international sanctions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and establishing a Strategic Cyber Partnership to better counter and deter cyber threats.
"We condemn the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s unlawful nuclear and missile development that poses a serious threat to international peace and security," the document read, referring to North Korea by its formal name. "The DPRK must abandon all its nuclear weapons, any other weapons of mass destruction, ballistic missile programs and existing nuclear programs, in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers an address to members of both Houses of Parliament and other guests at the Palace of Westminster in London on Nov. 21, 2023.
The two countries also stated their opposition to "all forms of arms transfer and related military cooperation" between North Korea and Russia, while vowing to strengthen cooperation to raise awareness of human rights abuses in the North.
In science, technology and trade, the accord outlined several new partnerships and MOUs established between the two countries, including in the digital sector, on semiconductor cooperation and on space cooperation.
It also noted their agreement to deepen collaboration on the responsible military use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, and to launch negotiations to upgrade their bilateral free trade agreement in a way that reflects the importance of supply chain resilience, digital economy, and energy cooperation, among other things.
Also included was a commitment to establishing a bilateral Supply Chains Dialogue by the end of the year to promote resilience of critical supply chains, including for materials, parts and equipment for cutting-edge technologies, essential medical products, energy, and critical mineral resources.
The final section of the accord focused on ways the two countries will work together to ensure a sustainable future, with key measures including the signing of a South Korea-U.K. Clean Energy Partnership to share expertise and collaborate on the deployment of clean energies, such as offshore wind and civil nuclear, in both countries and in third countries.
The two countries also agreed to establish a Critical Minerals Joint Working Group to work toward establishing an MOU on enhancing research and innovation collaboration, and encouraging partnerships between companies, industrial bodies and academic institutions.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and King Charles III riding in a horse-drawn carriage arrive at Buckingham Palace after they attended a welcome ceremony for the South Korean leader at Horse Guards Parade in London on Nov. 21, 2023, during his state visit to Britain to celebrate 140 years of diplomatic relations.