South Korea becomes first Asian country to join EU research and development framework 'Horizon Europe' as an associate member

Korea has become the first Asian country to become a full associate member of the European Union's Horizon Europe, the world's largest multilateral research and innovation initiative.
The Ministry of Science, ICT and Communications of Korea and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a meeting with the EU Executive Commission in Brussels, Belgium on the 17th (local time) to discuss the “EU Programme between the EU and the Republic of Korea.”
The signing of the Agreement on Participation in the R&I Framework Programme and the Protocol on the Accession of the Republic of Korea to the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Framework Programme 2021-2027 as an Associate Member State
The signing ceremony was attended by Korean Ambassador to Belgium Yoo Jong Hyun and EU Ambassador to Belgium Signe Ratzo.
The NGO was represented by Deputy Director General for Research and Innovation, Executive Board of the IMF (International Research and Innovation Agency), Dr. Ratso.
Horizon Europe is a program for research projects selected by the EU over the seven-year period from 2021 to 2027.
It is the world's largest multinational research and innovation program, with a total of 95.5 billion euros (approximately 16 trillion yen). In addition to the 27 EU member states, the program is supported by the UK, Norway, Iceland, Canada, and other countries.
Nineteen countries, including the EU's largest research partner, are already associate members, and with South Korea's addition, this number has increased to 20. Researchers from associate member countries can apply to calls for proposals with the same qualifications as researchers within the EU.
If a project is adopted through the EU selection process, it will be able to receive research funding directly from the Horizon Europe budget without a separate domestic evaluation.
The EU first proposed associate membership to the Korean government in 2018, expanding cooperation with a trusted ally in the areas of research and innovation.
Negotiations got underway in earnest when South Korea submitted its letter of intent to join in 2021, and the signing of this agreement marks the completion of all accession procedures, which took about four years.
After the accession negotiations were concluded last year, the EU decided to provisionally apply the agreement prior to the signing ceremony, meaning that Korean researchers have already been granted eligibility to participate since January of this year.
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, currently many Korean researchers are forming research consortia with European researchers and working on the Global Partnership for Science and Technology (GPS) project under the Horizon Europe program.
All associate member states are obligated to pay financial contributions to the EU.
The total contribution for the three-year period from 2018 to 2027 is reported to be around 22.5 million euros (approximately 3.8 billion yen). The Korean government has decided to promote the participation of domestic researchers in Horizon Europe.
, support for pre-planning projects, holding of Horizon Europe information sessions, establishment of the "Horizon Europe Multilateral Cooperation Team" within the Korea Research Foundation, and a networking forum for Korean and European researchers.
Minister of Science, ICT and Technology Bae Kyung-hoon said, "We are looking forward to developing a wide range of collaborations between Europe and various cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology and advanced biotechnology."
"I hope that practical cooperation in the field of advanced science and technology will expand," he said. "The government will do its utmost to ensure that joint research between Korean and European researchers is carried out actively."
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs has indicated its intention to deepen cooperation between South Korea and EU member states in future-oriented areas, including advanced technology, and to jointly build international norms on advanced technology.
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