National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac announced on Friday that Lee will attend the NATO summit from July 7 to 8, where he is expected to hold talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and participate in a meeting of leaders from the alliance’s Indo-Pacific partner countries, including Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

According to Wi, Lee will use the summit to expand cooperation between South Korea’s defense industry and NATO member states, reflecting Seoul’s broader effort to strengthen security partnerships amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

Lee is also scheduled to participate in the NATO Defense Industry Forum, where he will deliver remarks during one of the conference sessions focused on defense cooperation and industrial collaboration.

“As geopolitical instability deepens, NATO member states are increasing their defense spending and also pursuing efforts to strengthen their own domestic defense production capabilities,” Wi told reporters.

He said South Korea, despite not being a NATO member, should deepen cooperation with the alliance by aligning with NATO standards to facilitate exports of South Korean defense equipment and expand opportunities for its defense industry.

Wi added that Lee’s office is arranging additional bilateral meetings with foreign leaders during the summit to discuss defense cooperation, although he did not identify the countries involved.

Following the conclusion of the Ankara meetings, Lee will travel to Mongolia on July 9 for a three-day state visit at the invitation of Mongolian President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa.

The two leaders are expected to hold a bilateral summit on the opening day of the visit before issuing a joint statement and signing several memorandums of understanding designed to strengthen cooperation across multiple sectors.

South Korea considers Mongolia an increasingly important strategic partner because of its substantial reserves of critical minerals, which are essential for advanced manufacturing, clean energy technologies and high-tech industries.

Seoul also views Mongolia as a valuable diplomatic partner in regional security affairs due to its close relations with North Korea and its potential role in supporting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The trip underscores the Lee administration’s effort to diversify South Korea’s international partnerships by expanding defense exports, strengthening ties with NATO and reinforcing strategic engagement with countries that play an important role in regional security and supply chains.

South Korea has steadily expanded cooperation with NATO in recent years through dialogue, joint initiatives and defense industry collaboration, even though it remains outside the alliance, while simultaneously pursuing closer relations with partners across the Indo-Pacific region.

Lee’s visits to Türkiye and Mongolia are expected to advance Seoul’s broader foreign policy agenda of enhancing defense cooperation, securing critical mineral partnerships and reinforcing diplomatic engagement with countries viewed as strategically significant to South Korea’s long-term security interests.