On 24 June 2026, the EU-Korea Trade Committee adopted two revised lists of individuals eligible to serve as arbitrators and panellists under the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which was signed on 6 October 2010. The first list (Annex 1) comprises 15 arbitrators for dispute settlement under Article 14.18, replacing some Korean, EU, and non-national chairs from the original list established by Decision No 2 on 23 December 2011. The second list (Annex 2) includes 18 experts for trade and sustainable development panels under Article 13.15, updating the list last revised by Decision No 1/2019 on 30 September 2019.
Insoo PYO, Seungwha CHANG, Sungjoon CHO, Joongi KIM, and Jaemin LEE. The EU proposed five: Mary FOOTER, Marcus KRAJEWSKI, Crenguta LEAUA, Joost PAUWELYN, and Hélène RUIZ FABRI. Five chairpersons were also named: William DAVEY, Merit JANOW, Penelope Jane RIDINGS, Valerie HUGHES, and Marco Tulio MOLINA TEJEDA. For the expert list, Korea named six individuals: Sung Wook LEE, Jaemin LEE, Chang Young KWON, Suh-Yong CHUNG, Taek-Whan HAN, and Won-Mog CHOI. The EU named six: Eddy LAURIJSSEN, Jorge CARDONA, Karin LUKAS, Hélène RUIZ FABRI, Laurence BOISSON DE CHAZOURNES, and Geert VAN CALSTER. Six chairpersons were also appointed: Brian LANGILLE, Kevin BANKS, Le HA THANH, Jill MURRAY, Ricardo MELÉNDEZ-ORTIZ, and Nathalie BERNASCONI-OSTERWALDER.
Both decisions take effect on the date of their adoption in 2026. The revised rosters ensure that dispute resolution panels under the FTA remain operational with up-to-date expertise. The update primarily affects the pool of legal and trade experts available for resolving disputes between the EU and Korea, with no direct impact on businesses or consumers beyond maintaining the FTA's enforcement mechanisms. The decisions were taken by the Trade Committee, which oversees the implementation of the agreement, and no further institutional follow-up is required.