Lee holds NATO IP4 talks, says Korean Peninsula's conflict risk underpins defense industry

President Lee Jae Myung, in Turkey for the NATO summit, held a small-group meeting Tuesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and representatives of the Indo-Pacific Partner 4 nations — Japan, Australia and New Zealand — known as the IP4.

The meeting is the highest-level platform for cooperation between NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners and has been held since last year's Hague summit, reflecting both sides' commitment to deepening security ties.

Lee thanked Rutte for chairing the session and said the Korean Peninsula has the highest concentration of military forces anywhere in the world. "The persistent risk of conflict has driven the need for defense investment and arms development — and that is the foundation of our defense and defense industry capabilities," he said.

Lee said security cooperation must begin with reliable defense industry cooperation and expressed his commitment to strengthening the defense partnership with NATO through greater standardization and the building of defense supply chains. He said cooperation between defense companies, not just governments, would be essential to that effort.

Lee also said instability in Europe stemming from the war in Ukraine must not spill over into Northeast Asia, and that illegal acts must not be legitimized in the process of ending the war.

South Korea was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and Ambassador to NATO Yoo Jeong-hyun. The Japanese delegation included Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Defense Policy Bureau Director-General Manabu Mannami and European Affairs Bureau Director-General Katsuro Kitagawa.

Australia was represented by Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy, Ambassador to NATO Angus Campbell, Defense Industry Minister's Chief of Staff Nigel Bruce and Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Tooker. New Zealand's delegation was led by Defense Minister Chris Penk.