The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) hinted on the 24th-25th (local time) that it would invite President Lee Jae-myung to the summit meeting in The Hague, Netherlands.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said at a press conference held in Brussels, Belgium, on the 4th, in response to a question about whether the four so-called Indo-Pacific countries, including Korea, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, would be invited to the upcoming NATO summit, “The summit program will be announced at an appropriate time, but the participation of the four Indo-Pacific countries in NATO meetings is a tradition.”
When asked what message he wanted to convey to President Lee, Secretary General Rutte said, “Personally, I am really looking forward to cooperating with the new president. I wish you good luck” and noted, “There are many important things regarding the Indo-Pacific and within Korea, as well as in relations with other countries, so it won’t be an easy position, but I will help to support and build those relationships.”
NATO explicitly identified the threat from China for the first time in its 2022 ‘new strategic concept’ and, starting from the summit held in Madrid, Spain, invited the four Indo-Pacific countries for three consecutive years up to last year. The Indo-Pacific countries have also been invited multiple times to NATO’s foreign and defense ministers' meetings.
President Donald Trump of the United States is also expected to attend the NATO summit, so if President Lee’s attendance is confirmed, it is anticipated to provide an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting between the U.S. and Korean leaders. Before the NATO meeting, if President Lee is invited to the Group of Seven (G7) summit being held in Canada from the 15th to the 17th, it could lead to the first meeting between the U.S. and Korean leaders.