The European Commission and South Korea have signed an administrative arrangement in Brussels to strengthen cooperation on secure satellite connectivity and examine possible future integration with the EU’s IRIS² programme. The deal, signed by Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius and South Korean Deputy Minister Giyoung Jeoung, creates a working group to assess technical and operational paths for closer system-level cooperation.
The framework focuses on existing and planned secure-connectivity programmes, joint use cases and potential access to IRIS² architecture. It also brings in the European Space Agency, South Korea’s defence acquisition and development bodies and other authorities, with industry participation possible later. For the EU, the arrangement extends IRIS²’s international reach; for Seoul, it opens a route to secure communications infrastructure used for defence, security and emergency response.
IRIS², the EU’s multiorbit secure connectivity constellation, is targeting its first launches from 2029. The programme’s governance, technical set-up and financing were settled in August, clearing the way for wider cooperation discussions.