South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pushes NATO defense partnership at Ankara summit

At the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7‑8 2026, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivered a keynote address at the Defence Industry Forum, calling for faster cooperation between South Korea and the alliance. He emphasized the importance of resilient defence‑industry supply chains and joint research on cutting‑edge technologies.

Lee proposed upgrading bilateral ties to a “Korea‑NATO Defence Industry Partnership 2.0,” expanding cooperation beyond arms sales to joint development, production and operation of advanced systems. He also suggested creating a cooperative mechanism similar to the International Energy Agency’s strategic petroleum‑reserve management.

During the summit Lee met NATO Secretary‑General and Indo‑Pacific partners, including Japan, New Zealand and Australia. After the NATO meetings he will travel to Mongolia for a state visit (July 9‑11) to discuss mineral‑resource cooperation and broader security coordination.