President Lee says South Korea and NATO should become long-term strategic partners beyond arms deals

[Financial News, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia = Reporter Seong Seok-woo]President Lee Jae-myung said, "My vision is for South Korea and NATO to become long-term strategic partners that support the international security order." He outlined a plan to develop South Korea-NATO cooperation into a strategic defense partnership that goes beyond arms deals and includes joint research, production, and operations.
According to Anadolu Agency on the 10th local time, Lee said in the interview, "The message I wanted to deliver in Ankara is simple," adding, "Security no longer stays within geographic borders."
Lee said Europe and the Atlantic Ocean are becoming increasingly interconnected with the Indo-Pacific by shared security challenges. "In this new era, security is no longer determined by military power alone," he said. "Technological innovation, a resilient industrial base, and trustworthy partnerships shape security."
Lee described his attendance at this NATO summit as a starting point for deepening South Korea-NATO cooperation. "The outcome of this summit is the first practical step toward realizing that vision," he said. "Launching negotiations on a South Korea-NATO procurement framework agreement, expanding participation in multinational cooperative projects, and working with NATO's innovation ecosystem will lay the foundation for broader, closer, and future-oriented cooperation."
Lee also reiterated the concept of "South Korea-NATO Defense Cooperation 2.0," which he presented in his keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum. "Defense cooperation between South Korea and NATO has mainly focused on procuring defense equipment," he said. "South Korea-NATO Defense Cooperation 2.0 means going beyond the current model of simply trading weapons systems and instead researching, producing, and operating them together."
Lee repeatedly stressed that trust is essential in defense cooperation. "No defense partnership can succeed unless there is confidence that core technologies will be protected and that essential capabilities will remain stable under any circumstances," he said.
Anadolu Agency said South Korea has emerged as the second-largest arms supplier to European NATO member states after the United States. It added that South Korea's defense industry has gained greater visibility as NATO allies have increased arms imports since the Russia-Ukraine war.
South Korea has already expanded its presence in the European defense market by exporting K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft, and K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to Poland. Other NATO allies, including Norway, have also adopted South Korean defense equipment.
At this summit, negotiations began on a South Korea-NATO procurement framework agreement that would give South Korean companies structured access to NATO's joint procurement market. Anadolu Agency said the agreement would provide a basis for South Korean firms to enter a defense procurement market worth about $9.9 billion a year.
"The vision I am pursuing is for South Korea and NATO to do more than build a strong defense industry together," Lee said. "I want them to become long-term strategic partners that will support the international security order together for decades to come."
During the NATO summit, Lee held his first face-to-face meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and delivered a keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum. He also discussed further cooperation on building U.S. Navy vessels, an issue raised during talks with U.S. President Donald Trump at last month's Group of Seven summit.
After completing his first NATO summit attendance since taking office, Lee is visiting Mongolia on a state visit as the second stop of his overseas trip.
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