President Lee Jae-myung left Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on the morning of July 7, bound for Ankara and his first NATO summit since taking office. He was accompanied by his wife, Kim Hye-gyeong, and saw off by a send-off party that included Democratic Party acting leader Han Byeong-do, Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung, and presidential chief of staff Kang Hun-sik.
South Korea attends the summit as one of NATO's four Indo-Pacific partner countries, alongside Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, a grouping the alliance has invited since 2022. The invitation this year came directly from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, who had recently called South Korea's defence-industrial base 'fantastic.'
Lee's schedule in Ankara is dense with defence commerce. On arrival he joins a small-group meeting that Rutte hosts with the four Indo-Pacific partners. He then delivers a keynote at NATO's Defence Industry Forum under the theme 'Shared Values, Stronger Industrial Base,' before attending an official welcome dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. On July 8 he holds a series of bilateral meetings with countries identified as potential arms buyers.
The Blue House described the visit as a chance to deepen South Korea's foothold in the NATO defence market, which it said accounts for roughly 55 percent of global defence spending. Lee framed the trip in a social-media post before departure, writing that South Korea had moved from a long-time recipient of international assistance to a country now capable of contributing responsibly to global peace and security.
One question hanging over the Ankara stay is whether Lee will meet U.S. President Donald Trump, who is also attending the summit. No bilateral has been confirmed.
After Turkey, Lee travels to Mongolia for a state visit from July 9 to 11, at the invitation of President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh. It is the first South Korean presidential state visit to Ulaanbaatar in fifteen years. The two leaders are expected to sign a joint declaration styled 'The Golden Era of Korea-Mongolia Relations' and to attend the opening of the Naadam festival together.