Lee Jae Myung Forges Defense and Mineral Pacts on Diplomatic Tour

President Lee Jae Myung conducted a five-day diplomatic tour in July 2026, beginning with the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, and concluding with a state visit to Mongolia. In Ankara, Lee proposed a "Korea-NATO Defense Industry Partnership 2.0" to transition from simple arms sales to joint research and production of AI-driven weapons systems. He successfully negotiated a procurement framework agreement to grant South Korean firms institutional access to NATO's 15 trillion won annual joint procurement market.

While in Turkey, Lee agreed to assist U.S. President Donald Trump with the construction of American naval vessels and pledged $100 million in humanitarian and reconstruction aid to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He and Zelenskyy also agreed to handle North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine according to international law. Other bilateral meetings included talks with Norway regarding a strategic defense partnership and Romania concerning a new K9 howitzer production plant.

Following the summit, Lee traveled to Ulaanbaatar for the first South Korean presidential visit to Mongolia in 15 years. He and President Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh signed a joint declaration to initiate a "golden age" of bilateral relations, focusing on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the securement of critical mineral supply chains for rare earths, copper, and coal. Lee also leveraged Mongolia's diplomatic ties to seek assistance in resuming dialogue with North Korea before returning to Seoul to address domestic housing and technology projects.