1st Korea-Australia Economic and Security Dialogue (August 18) Held
Park Jong-han, Coordinator for Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held the first Korea-Australia Economic Security Dialogue with George Mina, Assistant Secretary for Trade and Investment at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in Seoul on August 18 (Tue).
※ Attended by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Ministry of Science and ICT, including Kim Jang-hee, Director General for New Trade Strategy Support at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
This Korea-Australia Economic and Security Dialogue was held based on a consensus to systematize strategic communication and cooperation in the field of economic and security between the two countries and to strengthen substantive cooperation. In particular, it is significant in that, following the recent announcement of the Korea-Australia Joint Statement on Energy and Resource Security in April 2026, the scope of cooperation has been expanded beyond energy and resource security to overall economic security.
Australia is Korea’s largest supplier of LNG and key minerals, and the two countries have maintained high complementarity in the energy and resource sectors. Furthermore, as a representative like-minded nation in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia is a partner with significant potential for cooperation in key emerging technologies, as well as in energy and key mineral supply chains.
The two chief representatives emphasized that Korea and Australia are important economic and security cooperation partners in the Indo-Pacific region and agreed on the need to continue close communication and cooperation between the two countries to respond to the rapidly changing international environment and geopolitical uncertainties.
In addition, both sides exchanged in-depth views on major economic security issues, including the assessment of the global economic security environment, energy security, critical minerals, and critical technologies, and extensively discussed relevant policies and specific cooperation measures between the two countries.
Both sides assessed the first Korea-Australia Economic and Security Dialogue as an opportunity to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries in the field of economic and security, and agreed to jointly explore ways to expand communication and cooperation with the private sector, including businesses, to build stable and resilient supply chains.
: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Korea