Tereza Novotna argues that: ► From a security perspective, the EU-South Korea partnership has been marked by three key topics: the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, North Korea, and US-China strategic competition. ► It would be a smart choice for Yoon’s team to continue and expand on the New Southern Policy rather than trying to come up with a new framework. ► In the end, it will be neither Eastern Europe nor North Korea but the Indo-Pacific which will hold the key to the future of the EU-Korea partnership.