President Lee Jae-myung departed from Seoul Airport on Monday for Ankara, Turkey, where a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit is being held. Lee will attend the NATO summit for two days from Monday before making a state visit to Mongolia from Sunday to Tuesday, embarking on a five-day overseas tour.
Lee left the country at around 8 a.m. from Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, seen off by Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ihk-pyo, Han Byung-do, acting leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, Interior and Safety Minister Yoon Ho-jung, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina, Turkish Ambassador to Korea Salih Murat Tamer, and Mongolian Ambassador to Korea Sukhee Sukhbold.
Due to rain, the airport send-off ceremony was held inside Seoul Airport for the first time since Lee took office. Lee smiled and said, "This feels awkward," before exchanging greetings with attendees and boarding Air Force One, the presidential aircraft. Lee wore a navy suit, while first lady Kim wore a white two-piece outfit.
Lee will first arrive in Ankara on Monday afternoon and, together with Secretary General Rutte, attend a small-group meeting with representatives of Indo-Pacific partner nations, the so-called IP4 countries, including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
Lee will then attend the NATO Defense Industry Forum, one of the official events of the summit, and deliver a keynote address at a session themed "Shared Values, a Stronger Industrial Base."
In the evening, he will attend an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife.
Just before departing, Lee wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "The Republic of Korea, which long received help from the international community, has now become a country that responsibly contributes to global peace and security." He added, "Following last month's G7 summit, this time on the NATO stage, we seek to further expand the Republic of Korea's role for global peace and security." He continued, "I will do my best on this tour as well, so that I can bring greater pride to the people."
Meanwhile, as U.S. President Donald Trump is also set to visit Turkey to attend the NATO summit, attention is focused on whether Lee will meet him in person there. Lee will stay in Turkey until Tuesday before carrying out his state visit schedule in Mongolia starting Wednesday.
