South Korea and NATO Begin Negotiations on 15 Trillion Won Joint Defense Procurement Agreement on July 7

According to South Korea's National Security Advisor Sung-Rak Wei, Seoul and NATO officially began negotiations on a procurement agreement to access NATO's joint defense market worth approximately 15 trillion won, announced on July 7 (local time) in Ankara. The agreement, once concluded, will provide South Korean defense companies with institutional access to participate in NATO's joint procurement projects.

Seoul also expanded its participation in NATO multinational cooperation projects, joining observer roles in ammunition supply, defense, and raw materials initiatives beyond its previous ammunition-focused role. South Korea's National Security Advisor noted these initiatives will strengthen interoperability of weapons systems between Seoul and NATO while establishing stable procurement conditions for Korean defense products.