Lee to attend NATO summit, visit Mongolia

President Lee Jae-myung will embark on a five-day overseas trip from July 7 to 11, traveling to Türkiye for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit before making a state visit to Mongolia. It will be Lee's first NATO summit since taking office and the first state visit to Mongolia by a sitting South Korean president in 15 years.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said at a briefing Friday that Lee will attend the 2026 NATO Summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8 before heading to Mongolia for a state visit from July 9 to 11 at the invitation of President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh.

Lee will use the NATO summit to advance defense cooperation with alliance members, which together account for about 55 percent of global military spending and represent the world's largest defense market. After arriving in Ankara on July 7, he will take part in a small-group meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and the leaders of the Indo-Pacific Four, comprising South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Lee will also attend the NATO Defense Industry Forum, an official summit event, where he will deliver a keynote speech and join a panel discussion during a session titled "Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base." He will wrap up the day at an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and first lady Emine Erdoğan.

On July 8, Lee is scheduled to hold a series of bilateral meetings with countries interested in expanding defense cooperation. Wi said the talks will provide an opportunity to present the strengths of South Korea's defense industry, particularly its technological edge and ability to deliver equipment quickly, to NATO allies and partner countries. He said the government also hopes to open new avenues for cooperation as it pursues its goal of making South Korea one of the world's four largest defense exporters.

Lee will arrive in Ulaanbaatar on July 9 for summit talks with President Khürelsükh, followed by a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony and a joint news conference. He will then deliver a keynote address at the South Korea-Mongolia Business Forum, where government officials and business leaders from both countries will discuss ways to strengthen economic cooperation. On July 10, Lee will visit a memorial honoring independence activist Lee Tae-jun, who practiced medicine in Mongolia while supporting Korea's independence movement, before hosting a luncheon with members of the South Korean community. On July 11, Lee and President Khürelsükh will attend the opening ceremony of the Naadam Festival, Mongolia's largest national celebration, as guests of honor.


윤다빈 empty@donga.com