Lee meets Norwegian PM in series of NATO leader talks

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store ahead of their bilateral summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday. Yonhap

ANKARA — President Lee Jae Myung held bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Wednesday, as part of a series of meetings with leaders of NATO member states on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Ankara.

The two leaders expressed hope that the meeting would lay the groundwork for further strengthening bilateral ties, including in defense and security.

The meeting took place as Korea seeks to deepen defense cooperation with NATO, as its 32 member states collectively account for about 55 percent of global defense spending and make up the world’s largest defense procurement market.

NATO has also committed to raising defense spending to a historic 5 percent of gross domestic product.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee was also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of the Netherlands and Romania, both NATO allies, Wednesday.

“We recently made an important decision in the defense sector, and I believe it was the right one for advancing our relationship into a strategic partnership," the Norwegian prime minister said through an interpreter, referring to Norway's September 2025 order of 24 additional K9 self-propelled howitzers from Hanwha Aerospace, which nearly doubled its fleet.

“We will continue to deepen cooperation in security, trade and technology,” he said, adding he expected the meeting to serve as "a valuable occasion to discuss how we can further strengthen bilateral relations."

Speaking through an interpreter, Lee said the international situation remains highly unstable, making it difficult for any single country to overcome these challenges alone.

"At times like these, cooperation and exchanges between countries are more important than ever," he said, adding that Korea and Norway have accordingly developed a close partnership, supporting each other across a wide range of areas, including the economy, industry, culture and defense.

"I hope today's bilateral talks will allow us to have an in-depth discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation and partnership in the years ahead."

The meeting marked the second summit between the leaders of Korea and Norway, following their first meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in November 2025.