In-bum Chun writes about “Europe Matters Again: Why Sweden Could Become Korea’s Most Valuable Northern Partner”
April 13, 2026: Lieutenant General (Ret.) In-bum Chun, Distinguished Military Fellow and current Guest Researcher, wrote a commentary about why Sweden is important for Korea as a partner for NewsPim.
Europe is no longer a distant secondary theater for South Korea. For many years, Korean strategy focused primarily on the United States, China, Japan, and North Korea. Europe was often treated as an important trading partner, but not as a central strategic actor. That assumption is becoming outdated.
Europe is changing, and South Korea’s relationship with Europe must change with it.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the expansion of NATO, rising concerns over China, growing instability in the Middle East, and the possibility of disruptions to global shipping routes have all pushed Europe to think more seriously about security and resilience. At the same time, Korea is facing a more dangerous environment of its own. North Korea continues to improve its missile and nuclear programs. China is becoming more assertive in the Taiwan Strait and in the broader Indo-Pacific region. The United States remains Korea’s most important ally, but Washington is also increasingly stretched across multiple regions.
This means Seoul cannot afford to think of Europe simply as a collection of export markets. Europe is becoming a strategic partner in technology, defense, supply chains, energy security, shipbuilding, and industrial resilience.
South Korea already has strong relationships with several European countries. Germany remains Korea’s largest and most important economic partner in Europe. Britain has become increasingly important in diplomacy, finance, and security cooperation. Poland has emerged as Korea’s most important defense customer and perhaps its fastest-growing strategic partner in Europe. France remains influential in aerospace, nuclear power, and diplomacy.
Yet among all these countries, Sweden deserves much more attention than it usually receives.
At first glance, Sweden may not appear to be the obvious choice. It is a relatively small country with a population of only around 10 million people. Its military is far smaller than those of Britain, France, or Germany. Its economy cannot match Germany’s scale. Sweden is not likely to buy Korean tanks and artillery on the scale of Poland.
However, focusing only on size misses the point.
Sweden is one of the few countries in Europe whose strengths align naturally with Korea’s future priorities.