Europe's dependence on Chinese batteries is growing rapidly. But in South Korea, it already has an established battery partner with a large European manufacturing footprint. To de-risk, it should leverage that relationship more strategically, Jihye Yoo and I argue in a new @ecfr.eu analysis.

ECFR@ecfr.eu · 4mo ago

Batteries are at the heart of Europe’s green transition and South Korea is a key partner. A new article by @alexlipke.bsky.social & Jihye Yoo explores how closer EU–Korea cooperation can boost resilience, reduce dependencies, and compete with China in critical supply chains. https://bit.ly/4tUCVk1

Our big @ecfr.eu 360° reaction piece to the Iran conflict, assessing regional & global positioning, risks and implications as the war plays out in devastating fashion across the Middle East - and beyond ecfr.eu/article/a-wa...

A war with no winners: The costs of US-Israeli aggression on Iran – European Council on Foreign Relations

US and Israeli strikes on Iran have plunged the Middle East into wider war. Retaliation, regional entanglements and disrupted trade make one outcome clear: no s

ecfr.eu

That three governments are unable to say that this is against international law is a reminder why we are losing the international rules-based order (or what is left)

German Embassy London@uk.diplo.de · 6mo ago

E3 Joint Leaders’ Statement on Iran by President Emmanuel Macron 🇫🇷, Chancellor Friedrich Merz 🇩🇪 and Prime Minister Keir Starmer 🇬🇧

Für die Tagschicht:

Armin Wolf@arminwolf.at · 7mo ago

Brillante Podcast-Folge über die historische Rede des kanadischen Premiers in Davos und die neue Weltordnung, die er beschreibt:

Climate Ambition vs Economic Security: can Europe have both? Join us at the online launch of @byfordt.bsky.social's new policy brief, which examines the debate between accelerating Europe’s clean energy transition or de-risking from China. Register here ⬇️ buff.ly/g8BCaNr @ecfr.eu

North Korea: “Yet again another reason to never denuclearize. Thank you for the reminder.”

Very happy to have had the opportunity to write this article for @iaionline.bsky.social, as part of a wider project in Korea and the G7! The argument is not without controversy, but I think given developments in the US it is worth having a debate about the potential of different alignments.

Istituto Affari Internazionali@iaionline.bsky.social · 10mo ago

With the #G7’s effectiveness eroding under #Trump, a G6+ format that brings South Korea into regular coordination offers a way to sustain global cooperation & preserve democratic governance #IAIPaper by @alexlipke.bsky.social➡️ https://www.iai.it/en/node/21014

While European politicians are busy trading smears around green policy, Beijing has consistently viewed climate not as ideology, but as a lever of industrial power, writes @byfordt.bsky.social @ecfrasia.bsky.social https://bit.ly/42z4ofJ

Not so fast: What China’s new climate target means for Europe and the planet

Europeans should understand that China views climate policy not as ideology—but as a lever of industrial power…

bit.ly

A Brief Overview of the Political Situation in South Korea: Since the coup that took place in South Korea on December 3 of last year, I have written several threads explaining the unfolding situation. I would like to once again provide a brief summary of the current state of affairs in South Korea.

Hyundai Motor has a rare earths stockpile that can last about a year and it does not expect any near-term impact from global supply chain disruptions caused by China's export curbs Basic question: why didn't European automakers have this stockpile? www.reuters.com/business/aut...

Exclusive: Hyundai Motor has a rare earths stockpile that can last about a year, source says

Hyundai Motor has a rare earths stockpile that can last about a year and it does not expect any near-term impact from global supply chain disruptions caused by China's export curbs, said a person who attended a company investor call.

reuters.com

📢We're hiring! Are you someone with experience of working in/on the Asian region and a strong knowledge of European foreign policy toward Asia and China? Join ECFR as Director of the Asia Programme. @ecfrasia.bsky.social

Help shape European foreign policy | Career opportunities at ECFR

Join the ECFR team and be part of the future of European foreign policy.

ecfr.eu

As Lee Jae-myung is delivering his acceptance speech to supporters in front of South Korea’s National Assembly, I have written down some thoughts for @ecfr.eu on how Seoul's foreign policy might shift under his Presidency, and how Europeans can engage him to keep up cooperation on crucial issues.

The plus sides of pragmatism: How the EU can engage with South Korea’s new president

At first glance, South Korea’s next president will be less Western aligned than the last, emphasising pragmatism over value-alignment. To maintain strong ties with Seoul, Europeans will need to…

ecfr.eu

Good that Japan & EU are aligned on drawing red lines. Significant concessions on sectoral tariffs are essential. “Auto and auto parts are the biggest exporting sector from Japan to the US. If we cannot make progress in this sector, I think we cannot reach any consensus.” www.ft.com/content/45d5...

Japan to hold out for better trade deal with US

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s unpopular government fears concessions could prompt electoral backlash

ft.com

China's second "shock" threatens Europe's industrial core. As Chinese firms expand into the EU, central and eastern Europe's manufacturing hubs risk becoming mere assembly lines. Read the new policy brief by @jankaoertel.bsky.social & Jakub Jakóbowski. @ecfrasia.bsky.social bit.ly/3FaF3jA

The standout madness in the general madness are the enormous tariffs on South East Asia which, if these stick, is going to magnify China's sphere of influence. Geopolitical lunacy.

Recent ECFR data has revealed strong similarities in how Europeans and South Koreans think about some of the most pressing geopolitical issues. I dissected the most striking responses and wrote about their promise for EU-Korea relations in my latest Commentary for @ecfr.eu. ecfr.eu/article/poll...

Polls, peril and partnership: Why South Korea and the EU are natural allies

South Koreans and Europeans agree that Russia is a threat, Ukraine needs support and that the new US administration is trouble. As Trump shakes the global security order, their shared concerns could s...

ecfr.eu

As trade war with the US looms, and other Trumpian threats proliferate, @ecfr.eu's @tobiasgehrke.bsky.social has surveyed Europe's retaliatory options across trade, services, financial, tech & other realms. He finds that Europeans hold more "cards" than they may realise ⬇️ ecfr.eu/publication/...

Brussels hold’em: European cards against Trumpian coercion

Faced with an aggressive United States, Europe has more leverage than it realises. Across trade, technology, infrastructure, finance and people-to-people relations it has ways of retaliating…

ecfr.eu

1/ Europe at Munich Security Conference looked like deer in Trump administration's headlights. How have we got this far without a concrete European plan for Ukraine to put on table? How is there *still* no proper consensus among major EU governments (+UK) on how far Europe is willing to step up?

The perfect storm that had been looming over the Atlantic since Trump's victory made landfall in Europe this week as JD Vance, Pete Hegseth & gang swept through the continent, leaving devastation in their wake. Below my thoughts on Europe's week from hell www.linkedin.com/posts/noahba...

Noah Barkin on LinkedIn: Since Donald Trump’s election victory last November, three main concerns…

Since Donald Trump’s election victory last November, three main concerns have been keeping European leaders up at night. The first was that Trump would try…

linkedin.com

Indeed quite a striking result. Interestingly, on most questions South Korean responses closely mirrored EU sentiment. More specific analysis on the South Korean data is coming very soon!

Andy Lim@andysaulim.com · 2y ago

New @ecfr.eu survey conducted in the aftermath of the November 2024 presidential election shows how countries see Trump 2.0 for their country. South Korea ranks last - 67% said it's bad for them. *this was taken before the December 2024 martial law Results here: ecfr.eu/publication/...

SEARCHING FOR DEUTSCHLAND, @jpuglierin.bsky.social's and my pop-up @ecfr.eu podcast on the European and global dimensions of the German election, starts today! Episode 1 here: ecfr.eu/podcast-seri...

ECFR@ecfr.eu · 2y ago

🎧Join @jeremycliffe.bsky.social & @jpuglierin.bsky.social tomorrow for the first episode of “Searching for Deutschland”, in which they explore Germany’s role at home & abroad. ecfr.eu/podcasts/epi...

Thank you for all the suggestions - updated the list the think tank starter pack with 7 further European Think Tanks: bsky.app/starter-pack...

Nicolai von Ondarza@nvondarza.bsky.social · 2y ago

The time of starter packs has almost faded, but as more and more European Think Tanks are arriving with their official accounts, I put together a starter pack of them: go.bsky.app/8Ra8RjU Likely missed a few - especially from CEE and Northern Europe - so further suggestions welcome!

At least 300 North Korean soldiers dispatched to support Moscow's war in Ukraine have been killed, with some 2,700 others injured, South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) said Monday. en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...

Yeji Chung@yejichung.bsky.social · 2y ago

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine has captured two wounded North Korean soldiers in Russia's western Kursk region and investigators are questioning them. m-en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN2025...

Musk-Booster für die AfD auf X: Durchschnittlich erreichte ein Post von Alice Weidel in den letzten 2 Wochen ca. 1 Mio. Impressions (links), mehrere wurden von Musk repostet. Ein riesiger Unterschied zur durchschnittlichen Reichweite in den letzten 12 Monaten (rechts). Quelle: bundesdatenschau.com

It's no exaggeration to say there is a torrent of news in South Korea right now. Blinken is visiting, while investigators trying to figure out how/when to arrest Yoon, impeachment trials of Yoon and the impeached PM under prep, ongoing Jeju Air investigation, now a North Korean ballistic missile.

#SouthKorea’s political turmoil continues. Political norms, such as grounds for impeaching an acting President, remain highly contentious & trust in v short supply as DP accuses now fmr acting Pres Han as backing #Yoon’s martial law coup . koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/2024-12...

Acting President Han is impeached as Korea's political crisis escalates

Political turmoil in Korea deepened as the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday afternoon, suspending the country’s second ...

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com

1/ Latest from S. Korea: - Opposition files impeachment motion against Acting President Han Duck-soo after he refuses to appoint 3 new Constitutional Court justices - CC to begin Yoon impeachment hearing tomorrow Yoon is still silent, hasn't submitted documents, and isn't cooperating

In my latest analysis, I write about the reasons for the imposition and failure of martial law, the dispute over the impeachment of the president, and the prospects for the biggest political crisis in South Korea's democratic history. 👇 www.pism.pl/publications...

NEW PAPER: The 2022 fossil fuel price jumps caused an oil and gas profit explosion. We show the US reaped the largest profit increase (USD 275bn) of any country. Big Oil claims this benefits the American people. In fact, 51% went to the richest 1%, only 1% to the bottom 50%. A 🧵