Distinguished Lecture Series: Denmark's EU Defence Opt-out and the 2022 Referendum > KUJMCE Distinguished Lecture Series

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The KU Jean Monnet EU Centre of Excellence at Korea University Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS) recently hosted a talk on Denmark’s historic decision to abolish its long-standing opt-out from European Union defence cooperation. The event featured Chang Ryong Oh (오창룡), Legislative Research Officer at the National Assembly Research Service of South Korea, who examined the political, historical, and security factors behind Denmark’s 2022 referendum held in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During the lecture, the speaker traced the origins of Denmark’s defence opt-out under the 1992 Edinburgh Agreement and explained why earlier efforts to reverse the policy had failed. Particular attention was given to how the Ukraine war reshaped public opinion and enabled an unprecedented political consensus, leading to the opt-out’s abolition with strong popular support. The discussion also highlighted the broader implications of this decision for Denmark’s security strategy, the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy, and evolving NATO–EU cooperation. 

The event concluded with an active Q&A session, reflecting strong interest among participants in European security and post-Ukraine geopolitical change.