EU ambassador stresses gender equality as essential for Korea’s national competitiveness

EU Ambassador to Korea Ugo Astuto speaks during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily marking International Women's Day and the bloc's “Women in STEM” initiative at the EU Delegation in central Seoul on Feb. 26. [PARK SANG-MOON]

 
[INTERVIEW]
 
European Union Ambassador to South Korea Ugo Astuto said that the shifting geopolitical landscape offers the partners a chance to deepen ties, built on the back of enhanced national competitiveness that starts with fully tapping its talent pool to avoid undermining growth and stalling innovation.  
 
"In Europe, we have a consensus on the fact that the promotion of gender equality is a matter of fairness [and] justice," Astuto said as he sat for an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the EU Delegation in central Seoul on Feb. 26. "It also makes economic sense in that unless you make full use of the potential of the population, you cannot really achieve growth or innovation."
 
The EU’s program in Seoul this year is built around “Women in STEM,” a theme Astuto said was chosen specifically with South Korea’s strengths in mind, citing its status as an advanced economy heavily invested in green and digital transitions. 
 
Women remain underrepresented in STEM fields globally, including South Korea. 
 
Here, only about 23.9 percent of STEM doctoral graduates are women — one of the lowest shares among member states of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, underscoring persistent gender disparities in advanced scientific training.
  
The EU Delegation in Seoul plans to mark International Women’s Day — which falls on March 8 every year — on Friday at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, bringing together voices from academia, industry and research to discuss ways to strengthen women’s roles in STEM.
 
To address the structural barriers that still limit women’s participation and leadership in STEM, the ambassador pointed to what he called a “holistic approach” drawn from European experiences.
 
In practice, he said, that means combining tools that target both the workplace and the home: pay transparency, robust child care and parental leave and corporate governance goals that are backed by enforcement so they do not remain voluntary pledges.
 

EU Commissioner for Equality; Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib presents the European Commission Roadmap for Women's Rights, in Brussels, Belgium, on March 7, 2025. [EPA/YONHAP]

"It is an endeavor which needs to proceed under several channels in parallel — it's an effort which goes together bottom-up and top-down," he said, describing progress as something that requires both government frameworks and societal momentum.
 
A significant milestone in this collaboration is Seoul's entry into Horizon Europe, the EU's flagship research and innovation program, in which South Korea became the first Asian country to join as a full associate member.
 
"[This partnership] makes possible for Korean scientists to engage with European scientists at the same level, cosponsoring and bringing forward projects of mutual interest in the most innovative aspects of our economies, particularly the green and digital transition," Astuto said. 
 
The ambassador described South Korea-EU ties as deepening amid a shifting political landscape in Washington and rising protectionism. He underscored that "like-minded partners" should "come together" and bond more tightly than ever. 
  
Defense-industrial cooperation has also emerged as a sensitive but expanding pillar, as South Korean firms deepen their foothold in European markets, including in countries such as Poland, which have accelerated procurement since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 
 
Addressing concerns that the EU’s push for strategic autonomy could become a barrier for South Korean defense exports, Astuto framed the country's entry into the market as an opportunity for European security rather than a threat.
 
“This is an integral part of our endeavor, so I would not see the one as opposed to the other,” he said, as the initiative is "aimed at strengthening domestic industry and developing partnership with friends around the world globally," such as South Korea.
 
Ukraine is the context in which Europe’s security thinking has become indivisible from broader challenges that reach beyond the continent — including pressures on the rules-based order and implications for security in the Indo-Pacific. 
 
Astuto lauded Seoul’s political backing, including support at the United Nations General Assembly resolution presented by Ukraine and humanitarian assistance.
 

EU Ambassador to Korea Ugo Astuto poses for a photo during an interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily at the EU Delegation in central Seoul on Feb. 26 . [PARK SANG-MOON]

"We need to try to help Ukraine to be in a position of strength at the negotiating table in order to make the lasting peace possible, and whatever Ukraine can do in that respect will be welcome," he said. 
 
He also addressed a recent action that drew controversy in Seoul — a “Victory will be ours” banner displayed outside the Russian Embassy.
 
Astuto called it something democracies should reject, adding that like-minded countries should “come together to push back.”
 
Astuto expressed a willingness to assist the two North Korean soldiers detained in Ukraine, while emphasizing that it is primarily for Seoul and Kyiv to resolve. Their stated wish to head to South Korea has fueled debate over possible transfer or protection arrangements for the POWs.
 
"I understand the humanitarian concern," he said, adding, "If there are ways for you to be helpful, we will try to be helpful.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]