President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea answers questions during a panel at the NATO Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7, 2026. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday pledged comprehensive support worth US$100 million to Ukraine on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey. The Blue House said this conference allowed Seoul to reaffirm its commitment to supporting Ukraine while also expanding defense industry cooperation with NATO.“We’ve consistently provided support through diverse channels including humanitarian aid, and this US$100 million pledge is an expansion of that effort to expand our contribution,” National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac told a news briefing in Ankara that day. “As a responsible global power, the Republic of Korea will continue to work with the international community to help end this horrific war as soon as possible and restore peace to daily life,” he added.Details of the aid have not yet been decided. A senior Blue House official said Seoul would continue providing support in areas other than lethal weapons.After arriving in Turkey on Tuesday, Lee met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He followed this with small-scale meetings with representatives from fellow Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) countries Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In a subsequent keynote speech at the NATO Defense Industry Forum, the president emphasized the importance of defense industry cooperation with NATO, stating that combining Korea’s stable production capabilities and verified technological capabilities with NATO’s longstanding know-how would significantly bolster both parties’ security capabilities.The Blue House said Lee’s participation in the NATO summit has established a foothold for creating a defense industry supply chain with NATO. “With their meeting, President Lee and NATO’s secretary general announced the start of discussions toward signing a South Korea-NATO framework agreement on procurement,” said Wi.“Such agreements stipulate the necessary legal and administrative terms for munitions and defense industry cooperation and procurement contracts between NATO and partner countries,” he added.Wi said the move would create the institutional framework necessary for Korean firms to access NATO’s joint procurement market, which is worth an estimated 15 trillion won annually.“South Korea has already participated as an observer for multinational cooperation projects involving the co-development of equipment, goods and capabilities by NATO allies, and this [agreement] would allow it to take part as an observer of defense industry raw material projects in addition to the existing ammunition and aerospace industries,” he went on.“Participating in these projects will broaden the base for South Korean companies to enter the NATO defense industry market through stronger interoperability between South Korean and NATO weapon systems, while contributing to laying the groundwork for stable procurement of South Korean munitions,” he explained.Wi further announced plans to “create a foundation for reinforcing future warfare response capabilities through participation in the NATO innovation ecosystem.”“As a first step, we are pursuing the participation of South Korean companies in NATO innovation ranges for assessing and verifying the private-sector emerging technologies for use on the battlefield,” he said.“The participation of South Korean aerospace businesses in SPACENET, a cooperative network for aerospace companies in NATO ally countries, will increase opportunities for information sharing, technology collaboration, and participation in NATO-supervised aerospace projects,” he predicted.Lee was scheduled for a summit on Wednesday with countries that expressed demand for defense industry cooperation. On Thursday, he is to arrive in Mongolia for a visit as a guest of the state.By Seo Young-ji, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
