NATO and the Republic of Korea strengthen their cooperation at the military staff talks in Seoul
On 12 May 2025, a military delegation from NATO, led by Brigadier-General Ungüder Eray, Deputy Director of the Cooperative Security Division, NATO International Military Staff (IMS), met with their counterparts from the Republic of Korea, headed by Major General Kwon Young Min, in Seoul. The military staff talks aim at strengthening the practical military cooperation between NATO and the Korean Defence Forces.
On the occasion of his visit to the Republic of Korea, Brigadier-General Ungüder highlighted the opportunity of “taking forward the existing military cooperation at a time when security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions is more closely linked than ever”. In this context, he added that “NATO’s military cooperation with the Republic of Korea is key to successfully face common security challenges at the speed of relevance”.
During the Military Staff talks, NATO IMS military representatives and their counterparts from the Republic of Korea exchanged information to facilitate an enhanced future cooperation through bilateral activities such as military exercises, training and courses.
The visit concluded with a meeting with the French Ambassador, Mr. Philippe Bertoux, who is acting as the NATO Contact Point Embassy in the country. Since 2005, the Republic of Korea works together with the Alliance, a partnership that involves joint efforts in several various fields including cybersecurity and new technologies.
On 14 May 2024, NATO Headquarters, in Brussels, hosted the previous military staff talks with the Republic of Korea. The dialogue between the Alliance and the Republic of Korea continued in January 2025, when the delegations of Indo-Pacific Partners met with NATO Chiefs of Defence.