| Kang Hoon-sik (left), presidential chief of staff, and Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz pose for a photo in Warsaw, Poland, Monday. (Polish defense minister’s X account) |
Two senior presidential aides held talks with NATO members on defense cooperation, as the transatlantic alliance seeks new security frameworks and supply chains in response to the war in Ukraine and rising geopolitical uncertainties.
On Monday, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik met with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz in the capital, Warsaw, to discuss defense and economic cooperation between the two countries. Kang is in Europe as a special envoy of President Lee Jae Myung for strategic economic cooperation.
In a post on X, Kang said he conveyed Lee's message that “the Korean president places great importance on the Korea-Poland relationship and hopes to elevate the strategic partnership during his term.”
Kosiniak-Kamysz also confirmed in a post on X that defense industry cooperation, technology transfers and equipment supplies for the Polish Armed Forces were the main topics of discussion.
According to local reports, Kang’s trip comes as Seoul is in talks with several European nations over potential defense export deals worth a combined $56.2 billion.
| Wi Sung-lac (right), director of the National Security Office, shakes hands with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Sekerinska during their meeting in Seoul on Monday. (Presidential office) |
On the same day, National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac met with NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Sekerinska, who was visiting for the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, the country’s biennial defense exhibition showcasing advanced weapon systems and global industry partnerships, according to the presidential office on Tuesday.
Wi noted that high-level exchanges between Korea and NATO have been gaining momentum, starting with the president’s phone call with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in July, which was followed by visits by the alliance’s military committee chair as well as Sekerinska. He also highlighted the launch of the inaugural Korea-NATO Defense Industry Consultative Body in Brussels last month.
“The security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is becoming increasingly interconnected,” Wi said, adding that “the Korean government will continue to strengthen the Korea-NATO partnership.”
According to the presidential office, Sekerinska expressed agreement, saying she hopes the partnership will continue to deepen, stressing the need to expand cooperation, particularly in the defense sector, which NATO would actively support.
The two sides also agreed to maintain close communication and expand information sharing amid global security challenges, including developments on the Korean Peninsula and the war in Ukraine.
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