President Lee Jae-myung will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Turkey and make a state visit to Mongolia from July 7 to 11. It marks the first time Lee has attended a NATO summit since taking office. It is also the first state visit to Mongolia by a sitting Korean president in 15 years.
Wi Sung-lac, director of the National Security Office, said at a Blue House briefing Friday, "President Lee will attend the 2026 NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey, for two days starting July 7, then make a state visit to Mongolia from July 9 to 11 at the invitation of President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh."
Wi said the attendance, following last month's Group of Seven (G7) summit, will further broaden the horizon of Korean diplomacy while pursuing defense cooperation in earnest with NATO allies, which constitute the largest defense market accounting for 55 percent of global defense spending. Lee will arrive in Ankara on the afternoon of July 7 and attend a small-group meeting with Secretary-General Mark Rutte and representatives of Indo-Pacific partner nations, the so-called IP4 countries including Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The meeting is the highest-level platform for cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific partners, held since last year's Hague summit reflecting both sides' commitment to strengthening security cooperation. Lee will then attend the NATO Defense Industry Forum, one of the summit's official events, and deliver a keynote address at a session themed "Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base."
In the evening, he will attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife.
Wi said, "On July 8, the final day in Ankara, we are coordinating the timing of bilateral meetings, prioritizing countries with substantial cooperation needs including in defense," adding, "This attendance will lay a full-fledged foundation for entering the world's largest NATO defense market and building a robust defense supply chain." He said, "We will directly promote the excellence of K-defense and its rapid procurement capabilities to NATO allies and partner nations, and pioneer cooperation routes toward becoming one of the world's top four defense export powers." He further said, "As the strategic importance of advanced technologies such as drones and AI has been proven on the Ukrainian battlefield, we will strengthen our capabilities to respond to future warfare through cooperation with NATO in innovation."
Lee will then arrive in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on July 9, hold a summit with President Khurelsukh and announce a joint declaration on the "Golden Age of Korea-Mongolia Relations." He is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech at the "Korea-Mongolia Business Forum," where government and business figures from both countries will discuss economic cooperation measures.
On July 10, he will visit the memorial hall of patriot Lee Tae-jun, who practiced medicine in Mongolia and supported the independence movement, before holding a luncheon meeting with Korean residents in Mongolia. On July 11, he will attend the opening ceremony of the "Naadam Festival," Mongolia's largest holiday, as guest of honor alongside President Khurelsukh. The festival is a national event honoring Mongolia's spirit of freedom and independence, and it is the first time a Korean head of state has been invited as guest of honor.
The two countries will expand cooperation in critical minerals, transportation and logistics, agriculture and finance, and strengthen economic and cultural exchanges through the Korea-Mongolia Business Forum, the residents' meeting and attendance at the Naadam Festival. Wi added, "We will expand New Northern cooperation and also seek cooperation measures for peace on the Korean Peninsula and resuming dialogue with North Korea."
