President Lee Concludes NATO 'Defense Sales' Tour, Departs for Mongolia

President Lee Jae-myung has concluded all scheduled events related to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and is now heading to Mongolia.

On the afternoon of July 8 (local time), President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung boarded Air Force One at Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara, Türkiye. They were seen off by Turkish officials, including Deputy Minister of Labor Lütfü Alp Alpkan, Deputy Minister of Trade Mustafa Tuzcu, and Commander of the Central Command Ayhan Kalender, as well as South Korean Ambassador to Türkiye Boo Suk-jong.

President Lee will travel directly to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, for a state visit, the first of its kind in 15 years.

Attending his first NATO summit since taking office, President Lee focused his diplomatic efforts on defense industry sales, with a primary emphasis on strengthening defense cooperation throughout his schedule.

During his keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum, President Lee proposed upgrading to a "Korea-NATO Defense Industry Partnership 2.0." He suggested moving beyond simple weapon system transactions toward a model of joint research, production, and operation.

He further emphasized that South Korea and NATO are reliable partners that share the painful memories of war and have together upheld the values of democratic freedom and peace in a severe security environment.

Following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the two sides initiated negotiations for a "Korea-NATO Procurement Agreement" to establish the legal and administrative procedures for participation in the military supply procurement market.

Wi Sung-lac, Director of the National Security Office, stated, "Once the agreement is signed, it will provide an institutional foundation for our companies to participate in a procurement market estimated at 15 trillion won annually."

On the second day of the summit, President Lee held a series of meetings with leaders from countries that have already engaged in defense cooperation with South Korea, such as Norway and Romania, as well as those seeking cooperation in various fields, including Ukraine.

In particular, he promised a comprehensive support package worth 100 million dollars to Ukraine, expressing a commitment to actively participate in international efforts for peace and reconstruction.

Analysts suggest that South Korea's recent loss to Germany in the bid for Canada's patrol submarine project (CPSP) was due to an inability to overcome the defense interoperability and historical depth shared among NATO member states.

The proposal for a new partnership with the military alliance, the initiation of procurement agreement negotiations, and the expansion of contact with various heads of state are interpreted as a strategy to learn from this recent setback and more aggressively target the NATO market, which accounts for 55 percent of global defense spending.

During his state visit to Mongolia, President Lee is scheduled to hold a summit with Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh, followed by an exchange of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOU), and a joint press announcement.

The two leaders also plan to announce a joint declaration titled "The Golden Age of Korea-Mongolia Relations," which outlines the future vision for bilateral ties.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.