Venue: Espacio Bertelsmann
Tuesday, 12th May 2026, from 10:00 to 14:00 h. CEST (UTC+2). Venue: Espacio Bertelsmann (c/ O’Donnell 10, Madrid)
The deepening ties between Russia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) underscore the growing strategic interconnection between the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific theatres.
Against this backdrop, this seminar aims to advance strategic reflection on the nature and implications of the Russia–DPRK alignment for both Europe and the Korean Peninsula. Looking ahead, sustained dialogue and cooperation will be essential to develop coordinated responses to the challenges posed by the deepening Moscow–Pyongyang alliance. The EU and the Republic of Korea are particularly well placed to contribute to this effort, drawing on complementary expertise and supported by an expanding institutional framework, including a Security and Defence Partnership since 2024.
By bringing together high-level voices from Korea, Spain, and across Europe, the seminar seeks to generate informed and forward-looking insights into a rapidly evolving security issue with significant regional and global ramifications.
Hashtag: #NKoreaRussia
Programme
10:00 Welcoming and congratulatory remarks:
- José Juan Ruiz, Chairman, Elcano Royal Institute | @ElcanoJjRuiz;
- Song Guido, President, Korea Foundation.
- Lim Soosuk, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea | @embcoreaespana
10:15 Keynote speech (video recorded):
- Josep Borrell Fontelles, Former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Vice-President of the European Commission; Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Elcano Royal Institute | @JosepBorrellF
10:30 Panel I: Understanding the Moscow–Pyongyang axis: drivers and implications
- Mira Milosevich, Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute | @MiraMilosevich1
- Eric J. Ballbach, Korea Foundation Fellow, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) | @EricBallbach
- Youngjun Kim, Professor, National Security College of the Korea National Defense University | @bumanbake
- Luis Fonseca, Director General, North America, Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain | @SpainMFA
Chair: Mario Esteban, Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute | @wizma9
12:00 Coffee break
12:30 Panel II: Strategic options and defense cooperation for the EU and South Korea
- Beomshik Shin, Director, Center for Eurasian & Central Asian Studies, Seoul National University.
- Ramón Pacheco Pardo, Professor, King’s College London; KF-VUB Korea Chair, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) | @rpachecopardo
- Félix Arteaga, Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute
- Lami Kim, Korea Chair in Advanced Technologies, National Security and Defence, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) | @lamikim
Chair: Carlota García Encina, Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute| @EncinaCharlie
14.00 End of seminar.
Organized by:
– The event will be held in English without simultaneous translation.
– If you would like to attend in-person, please send RSVP to confirmaciones@rielcano.org starting on 4th May.
Image: Vladimir Putin’s Visit to Pyongyang for Meeting with Kim Jong-un (18/06/2024). Photo: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0.
_2.jpg){kind=link}