By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Acting on behalf of South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac attended the NATO summit and conveyed the President's intention to strengthen the Korea-NATO partnership and began concrete discussions on expanding defense cooperation.

According to the Presidential Office on June 26, National Security Adviser Wi attended the NATO summit held in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24 and 25, and delivered a personal letter from President Lee Jae-myung to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during their meeting, explaining the reasons for the President's absence.

Secretary General Rutte responded, “We highly appreciate Korea's commitment to developing relations with NATO,” adding, “NATO shares the same position.”

In particular, the President’s top security aide Wi emphasized the potential for cooperation between South Korea and NATO in the defense industry, stating, “South Korea possesses excellent defense capabilities and is the optimal partner for strengthening NATO's defense and defense industry capabilities.”

As a result, both sides agreed to establish a director-level defense industry consultation body and expand cooperation through participation in NATO's High Visibility Projects.

Wi also attended the “NATO-Indo-Pacific Partners Special Event” held during the summit, along with representatives from major countries such as New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

At the event, Wi emphasized, “As a country that has overcome a crisis of democracy, South Korea will fulfill its responsible role in international peace and security.” He also stated that through standardization cooperation with NATO, “We will enhance interoperability and contribute to strengthening the defense supply chain.”

As a result of this meeting, NATO and Indo-Pacific partner countries adopted a joint statement and agreed to begin full-scale cooperation centered on supply chain security, new technology cooperation, defense procurement cooperation, and military standardization.

Meanwhile, Wi also attended an official welcome dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, where he conveyed greetings from President Lee to the leaders of each country and expressed his commitment to developing relations between the two countries.

National Security Adviser Wi also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25. According to the Presidential Office, the two agreed on the need to hold a South Korea-US summit meeting as soon as possible.

The Presidential Office said on the same day, “The President’s top security aide Wi and Secretary Rubio had a wide-ranging discussion on the direction for further strengthening the alliance between South Korea and the United States, which are special allies, and on current issues.”

The two also agreed to communicate closely to hold a South Korea-U.S. summit meeting. This is a follow-up discussion to U.S. President Donald Trump's request for President Lee to visit the United States during their phone call on June 6.