President Lee to Visit Türkiye and Mongolia for NATO Summit, July 7-11

Lee to Attend NATO Summit in Ankara, Türkiye
Direct Defense Industry Sales through Speech at 'NATO Defense Industry Forum'
Suh Seungrak: "Laying the Groundwork for a Robust Defense Supply Chain"
Seeking Ways to Resume Dialogue with North Ko

President Lee Jae-myung will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit held in Ankara, Türkiye from July 7 to 8, 2026. Following that, he will make a state visit to Mongolia from July 9 to 11.

At a briefing held at the Blue House Chunchoogwan on July 3, Whee Seongrak, Director of the National Security Office, stated, "Following last month's Group of Seven (G7) summit, this visit will further expand the horizons of our diplomacy, and, in particular, marks the start of full-scale defense industry cooperation targeting NATO allied countries, which constitute the world’s largest defense market, accounting for 55% of global defense spending."

Lee to Attend NATO Defense Industry Forum... Direct K-Defense Sales

Whee Sung-rak, Director of the Office of National Security, is giving a preliminary briefing on President Lee Jae-myung's attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and his state visit to Mongolia at the Blue House Chuncheon Press Conference Hall on July 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

On July 7, President Lee will arrive in Ankara and hold talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, exchanging views on the current status of NATO relations and ways to strengthen future cooperation. President Lee will also participate in a small-group meeting with the leaders of Indo-Pacific partner countries, including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Notably, President Lee will attend the 'NATO Defense Industry Forum,' an official event of the summit that draws more than 1,000 participants. At the forum, he will deliver a keynote speech on the theme "Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base" and participate in discussions.

Director Whee stated, "We will lay the groundwork for a full-scale entry into the world’s largest NATO defense market and the establishment of a robust defense supply chain. Through participation in this forum, we will directly promote the excellence of K-Defense and its rapid procurement capabilities to allied and partner countries."

He added, "With the strategic importance of advanced technologies such as drones and AI being proven on the battlefield in Ukraine, NATO is working to establish an innovation ecosystem to apply these technologies in military operations. Our military and companies will be able to participate in NATO’s innovation networks in areas such as drones and space, acquire core technologies for future warfare, and pursue joint development."

On the evening of the same day, President Lee is scheduled to attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his spouse. On the final day, July 8, he is expected to hold bilateral meetings with countries seeking cooperation in the defense sector.

First State Visit to Mongolia in 15 Years... Seeking Ways for Dialogue with North Korea

Seongrak Wi, Director of the National Security Office, is giving a preliminary briefing related to President Lee Jae-myung's attendance at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and his state visit to Mongolia at the Blue House Chunchoogwan press conference room on July 3, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

On July 9, President Lee will move to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to carry out his state visit schedule. This marks the first visit by a Korean president to Mongolia in 15 years, and is taking place just one year after the launch of the current administration—the earliest in history.

Upon arrival, President Lee will attend an official welcoming ceremony at the Mongolian Government Palace and hold a summit meeting with President Khurelsukh. The two leaders will then attend an agreement and memorandum of understanding (MOU) exchange ceremony and a joint press announcement, during which they will issue a "Golden Era of Korea-Mongolia Relations" joint declaration. In the evening, President Lee will deliver a keynote speech at the "Korea-Mongolia Business Forum," attended by government and business representatives from both countries.

On July 10, President Lee will visit the memorial hall of independence activist Lee Tae-jun, meet with the Speaker of the Mongolian Parliament and the Prime Minister, and attend a state dinner hosted by the President of Mongolia. On July 11, together with President Khurelsukh, he will participate as a guest of honor in the opening ceremony of the "Naadam Festival," Mongolia’s largest national holiday, concluding his visit.

Director Whee emphasized, "During this summit, we plan to broadly discuss ways to strengthen trade and supply chain cooperation based on the economic complementarity of the two countries and to enhance cooperation in key minerals, food security, yellow dust response, healthcare, and science and technology—areas that will provide practical benefits to the people of both nations."

Additionally, Director Whee noted, "Mongolia, as the second country to establish diplomatic relations with North Korea after the former Soviet Union, has maintained traditional friendly ties with North Korea and thus possesses diplomatic assets that can contribute to progress on the Korean Peninsula. We intend to seek viable pathways to resume dialogue with North Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.