NATO held military staff talks with the Republic of Korea at its headquarters in Brussels on 24 June, focusing on the partners’ current cooperation, interoperability and future areas for closer work.
The meeting was hosted under NATO’s Cooperative Security Division, the alliance informed on Wednesday.
Major General Eray Üngüder, Director of NATO’s Cooperative Security Division, led the NATO delegation, which included staff from NATO’s International Military Staff and International Staff, as well as a representative from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Partnership Division.
The Republic of Korea delegation was led by Major General Joo Seong Kyu, Director of the Strategy and Plans Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and included officials from the Korean Defence Forces.
“The Republic of Korea is a longstanding Partner of NATO and we are grateful to have this strongly committed partnership,” Üngüder stated.
He said NATO’s engagement with partners in the Indo-Pacific was increasingly relevant, citing “the impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine” and rapid technological developments.
Cybersecurity and joint exercises
NATO said its partnership with the Republic of Korea began in 2005 and includes cooperation on cybersecurity, capability development, new technologies and countering “hybrid threats” — a term used for activities that fall between peace and conflict, such as cyber attacks and disinformation.
This year’s talks discussed interoperability — the ability of forces to operate together — as well as standardisation and cyber exercises.
The previous round of military staff talks took place in Seoul on 10 May 2025.
Other recent exchanges cited by NATO included a visit to Seoul by the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, in early September 2025, and a NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting in Brussels in January 2026 attended by delegations from Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand.
