Korea, NATO agree to establish consultative body on defense industry
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, left, meets Mark Rutte, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), on the sidelines of the NATO summit held in The Hague, the Netherlands, on June 24-25, in this photo provided by the presidential office. Yonhap
South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have agreed to establish a working-level consultative body on defense industry cooperation, the presidential office said Thursday.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the NATO summit held in The Hague.
During the meeting, Wi delivered a personal letter from President Lee Jae Myung, which explained the reason for his absence from this year's summit and reaffirmed his commitment to deepening the partnership between South Korea and NATO, the office said in a release.
"Wi expressed hope that the Republic of Korea and NATO, which share the values of democracy and peace, will actively cooperate in response to complex global challenges," the office said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Wi also highlighted the strong potential for expanded cooperation in the defense industry, pointing to South Korea's advanced defense capabilities.
"The two sides agreed to establish a new director-general level South Korea-NATO defense industry consultation body to discuss specific measures to enhance cooperation in the defense sector," it said.
They also agreed to promote defense industry cooperation through South Korea's participation in future NATO projects aimed at strengthening the transatlantic alliance's defense capabilities.
On Wednesday, Wi took part in a separate session with Rutte and representatives from three other Indo-Pacific partners — Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
During the session, the participants adopted a joint statement reaffirming their shared commitment to closer cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners, particularly in practical areas, such as defense.
The partners also agreed to continue advanced collaboration in securing supply chains, as well as in defense development, production and procurement, and pledged to work together on joint projects in space and maritime domains, as well as in munitions, according to the statement.