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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a group photo session for the meeting between the NATO Secretary General and the Indo-Pacific Partners (IP4) at the Ankara Convention Center in Turkey on July 7 (local time). / Courtesy of Yonhap News

The NATO summit held in Ankara, Turkey, effectively became a stage for President Lee Jae-myung's "K-Defense sales diplomacy." With leaders from major member states gathering in one place—including U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni—President Lee maintained a packed schedule of diplomatic outreach.

On July 7 (local time), President Lee attended both the IP4 restricted summit—joined by Indo-Pacific partner nations including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand—and the NATO Defense Industry Forum. He naturally engaged with various heads of state to promote the competitive edge of K-Defense during the official welcoming gala dinner hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his first lady, as well as during the NATO summit family photo session.

However, the highly anticipated reception hosted by President Trump did not take place. Consequently, interactions between the South Korean and U.S. leaders were less frequent compared to their extensive engagements at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Évian, France, last month.

Commenting on the reception, a senior Blue House official stated on the same day, "There was a brief momentum toward organizing a reception, but it did not materialize into concrete plans."

President Lee also utilized the photo session with heads of delegation following the welcoming gala dinner as an opportunity for diplomacy. Cameras caught his interpreter hurrying to keep up as President Lee approached Prime Minister Meloni right after speaking with Prime Minister Carney.

The Blue House explained that European nations currently pursuing rearmament are showing immense interest in South Korean defense capabilities. A senior Blue House official noted, "During the bilateral discussions between President Lee and the NATO Secretary General, Secretary General Rutte opened every statement by highly praising South Korea's defense capabilities. This demonstrates how exceptionally high expectations are for us, and we believe it is vital to fully capitalize on this momentum."

                                                                                                           Hong Sun-mi