Brussels [Belgium], February 11 : NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte held discussions with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, underlining the growing strategic partnership between the alliance and Seoul amid shared global security concerns.
Following the talks on Tuesday, Rutte took to X to highlight the close cooperation between South Korea and NATO, stressing the deepening linkages between security in different regions.
"Good talk with ROK President @Jaemyung_Lee today. ROK is a close NATO partner, and Euro-Atlantic security and Indo-Pacific security are closely linked. That's why we are deepening our dialogue and cooperation, including on defence industry," he posted.
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}Good talk with ROK President @Jaemyung_Lee today
ROK is a close NATO partner, and Euro-Atlantic security & Indo-Pacific security are closely linked. That’s why we are deepening our dialogue and cooperation, including on defence industry
— Mark Rutte (@SecGenNATO) February 10, 2026
In a written briefing, presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-jun said the interaction, which marked the second exchange between the two leaders in the past seven months, took place at Rutte's request, Yonhap News reported.
Building on this momentum, the two leaders underlined the importance of sustaining their partnership and maintaining close coordination to respond to pressing global security challenges, including the war in Ukraine and security concerns on the Korean Peninsula, according to Yonhap News.
President Lee used the opportunity to draw attention to the advanced technological capabilities of South Korean defence firms and proposed advancing practical cooperation through a working-level consultative body established last year.
Rutte welcomed the suggestion and expressed full support for further strengthening collaboration in this domain.
The leaders also agreed to pursue deeper ties in other strategic areas, including space and information sharing, reflecting their mutual commitment to broader and more concrete engagement across multiple high-priority fields.
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