SEOUL, July 03 (AJP) -South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Türkiye and Mongolia next week for a five-day diplomatic swing aimed at expanding Seoul’s security, defense industry and supply chain partnerships, the presidential office said Friday.
Lee will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara from July 7 to 8 before making a state visit to Mongolia from July 9 to 11, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said at a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea's presidential office.
The trip will be Lee’s second major multilateral diplomatic outing in less than a month, following his participation in the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, in June. The presidential office said the visit is intended to broaden South Korea’s diplomatic reach and accelerate cooperation with NATO member countries, which Wi described as the world’s largest defense market.
Lee is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on the afternoon of July 7 and attend a small-group meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and leaders from the alliance’s Indo-Pacific partners — South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand — a grouping often referred to as the IP4.
NATO has stepped up engagement with the four Indo-Pacific partners in recent years, saying developments in the Indo-Pacific can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security. The four countries first joined NATO leaders at the 2022 Madrid summit and later attended summits in Vilnius in 2023 and Washington in 2024. NATO says its cooperation with South Korea includes cyber defense, emerging technologies, nonproliferation and interoperability.
The Ankara summit, scheduled for July 7 and 8, will be chaired by Rutte and held at the Beştepe Presidential Compound, according to NATO. The alliance’s Defense Industry Forum, a high-level event on defense production, investment and innovation, will also take place in Ankara on July 7.
Lee will deliver a keynote speech during the forum and later attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan.
Wi said Seoul is arranging bilateral meetings on July 8 with countries that have strong demand for practical cooperation, including in defense. He said the trip would help lay the groundwork for South Korean defense companies to enter NATO markets and build more resilient defense supply chains.
South Korea has emerged as a major arms exporter, particularly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered a surge in European defense spending. Seoul has promoted its weapons systems as cost-effective, NATO-compatible and quickly deliverable, a combination that helped Korean firms win large contracts in Europe, including in Poland.
The NATO summit comes as the alliance seeks to expand defense production and reinforce deterrence amid concerns over Russia, Ukraine and burden-sharing within the transatlantic alliance. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters ahead of the summit that NATO’s priorities include increased defense spending, a stronger transatlantic defense industry, alliance unity and support for Ukraine.
Lee’s visit also comes against the backdrop of deepening South Korea-Türkiye defense ties. Türkiye, a NATO member with the alliance’s second-largest military, has worked with South Korea on major defense projects, including the Altay main battle tank. Erdogan said last year that the Altay project was one of the most successful examples of defense cooperation between the two “strategic partner” countries.
South Korea and Türkiye established diplomatic ties in 1957 and often describe their relationship as one rooted in the Korean War, when Turkish troops fought under the United Nations (UN) Command. In recent years, the two countries have expanded cooperation in defense, infrastructure, energy and trade, while Ankara’s role inside NATO gives Seoul an additional channel into the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.
After the NATO summit, Lee will travel to Ulaanbaatar at the invitation of Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. Wi said it will be the first state visit to Mongolia by a South Korean president in 15 years.
Lee will hold a summit with Khurelsukh on July 9, followed by an exchange of agreements and memorandums of understanding and a joint press announcement. The two leaders are also expected to issue a joint declaration setting out what the presidential office called a new “golden era” in South Korea-Mongolia relations.
Lee will later deliver a keynote speech at a South Korea-Mongolia business forum attended by government officials and business leaders from both countries.
South Korea and Mongolia established diplomatic relations in 1990 and upgraded their ties to a strategic partnership in 2021. Mongolia’s “third neighbor” policy, which seeks to diversify its foreign relations beyond China and Russia, has helped Seoul and Ulaanbaatar expand cooperation in diplomacy, development, culture, infrastructure and resources.
Critical minerals are expected to be a major focus of the visit. Mongolia is rich in natural resources, including rare metals and other minerals needed for batteries, electronics and advanced manufacturing. South Korea, whose major industries depend heavily on imported raw materials, has been trying to diversify supply chains for critical minerals.
Last month, senior officials from South Korea and Mongolia launched a vice-ministerial strategic dialogue in Ulaanbaatar, where they discussed cooperation in rare metals, critical minerals, supply chains, health care and international issues.
On July 10, Lee will visit a memorial hall honoring Lee Tae-joon, a Korean independence activist and doctor who practiced medicine in Mongolia and supported Korea’s independence movement during Japan’s colonial rule. He will also meet members of the Korean community in Mongolia over lunch.
On July 11, Lee and Khurelsukh will attend the opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia’s largest national festival. Wi said Lee will be the first South Korean president invited as guest of honor to the festival, which celebrates Mongolia’s independence and national identity through traditional sports including wrestling, archery and horse racing.
Wi said Mongolia is also significant because it maintains traditional ties with North Korea. He said Lee and Khurelsukh are expected to discuss peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, regional confidence-building and possible ways to resume dialogue with Pyongyang.
“The visit to Mongolia is connected to our government’s push to expand cooperation with the New Northern region and diversify diplomacy,” Wi said. “It will also be an opportunity to strengthen trade and supply chain cooperation with a resource-rich partner.”
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