The negotiation of trade deals around the world is a main plank of Britain’s vision for itself after leaving the European Union, and London is seeking to build ties with Asian countries as part of an Indo-Pacific tilt in its foreign policy.
“I’m delighted we are on the cusp of launching trade negotiations with another dynamic market in a fast-growing part of the world,” junior trade minister Greg Hands said. South Korea is the third biggest producer of semiconductors in the world, and has signed an agreement with Britain to strengthen supply chain resilience in the face of shortages in that sector and others.