National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac on June 15 holds a briefing at the Office of the President in Seoul's Yongsan-gu District on President Lee Jae Myung's attendance at the G7 Summit in Canada. (Yonhap News)

By Park Hyeri

The government and NATO will form a bilateral consultative body to raise their cooperation in the defense industry.

Yonhap News and other domestic media said National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac on June 25 agreed on this in his talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands.

Director Wi delivered a personal letter to the NATO chief from President Lee on the latter's intent to strengthen Korea's bilateral partnership with NATO. In response, Secretary General Rutte praised Seoul's intent to develop continuous ties with NATO and said his organization shares the same position on bolstering the partnership.

"Korea and NATO share the values of democracy and peace, and I hope for our active cooperation to respond to complex global challenges," Director Wi said. "Based on its superior know-how in the defense industry, Korea is an optimal partner that can contribute to raising NATO's capabilities in defense and the defense industry."

Both sides also pledged to promote cooperation in the defense industry through the launch of a bilateral consultative body for the sector at the director-general level and Korean participation in NATO's High Visibility Project, a joint development and acquisition program for developing the organization's next-generation military capacity.

On the same day, Director Wi also attended a meeting of NATO and its four Indo-Pacific allies -- Korea, Australia, Japan and New Zealand -- with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Richard Marles, and Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya.

"I hope that the Korea-NATO partnership, which has steadily developed over the past two decades, will further deepen through this summit," Director Wi said. "The Republic of Korea will play a responsible role in global peace and security."

hrhr@korea.kr