The Council of the European Union is being asked to approve a new agreement with the Republic of Korea on the transfer of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute terrorist offences and serious crime. The proposal for a Council decision, published on 24 July 2026, would authorise the conclusion of the agreement, which covers PNR data from air carriers on flights between the EU and South Korea.
The agreement was negotiated following a mandate issued by the Council, with talks opening on 17 December 2025. The text was initialled on 4 June 2026, and the EU–Korea Summit on 10 June 2026 welcomed the conclusion of negotiations. Under the agreement, South Korea's Customs Service (KCS) is designated as the competent authority to receive and process PNR data. Data may be retained for a maximum of five years, with depersonalisation required after six months. Automated processing is limited, and special categories of PNR data are prohibited. Disclosure to other Korean authorities requires prior approval from a judicial or independent body, while transfer to third countries is allowed only if the EU has a comparable agreement or adequacy decision with that country. Individuals are granted rights to access, correction, redress, and effective administrative and judicial remedy. South Korea must also appoint an independent oversight authority to monitor compliance.
The proposal has no budgetary implications for the EU budget. The Council's decision will determine whether the agreement enters into force, setting conditions and safeguards for data transfers that balance security needs with data protection standards.