On 3 March 2025, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) Executive Director, João Negrão, welcomed the Commissioner of the Korea Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), Wan Ki Kim, for his first visit to the Office's headquarters in Alicante. The visit focused on how the EUIPO and the KIPO could work together to reinforce the collaboration between the two like-minded offices and exploring ways to advancing the global IP system.
Finding ways to unlock the valuation and financing of intangible IP assets is becoming a priority around the world and several initiatives have emerged from both private and public sectors. South Korea, with its well-established legislative and policy framework, has launched several IP valuation and IP-backed financing initiatives since 2010, involving public institutions, commercial banks and private investors.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea (ECCK), and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) co-organised the ‘IPR Conference 2024: IP Rights in the Digital Environment’ on 11 November. The event was inaugurated by EU Ambassador María Castillo Fernández, Mr Stefan Ernst, President of the ECCK, and Mr Wan Ki Kim, Commissioner of KIPO.
On 3 July 2024, the launch event of the recently started project “EU-RoK Intellectual Property Action” was celebrated in Seoul.
The event was inaugurated by H.E. María Castillo Fernández, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea and Mr. Peob Min Ryu, Director General of FTA Negotiations of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) of the Republic of Korea.