▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (2nd from L) poses for a photo with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (3rd from L), New Zealand Defense Minister Chris Penk (far L), Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi (3rd from R), Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (2nd from R) and Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy during their meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s four official Asia-Pacific partners in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7, 2026, to discuss security cooperation. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, July 21 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's proposed cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is aimed at enhancing their own respective contributions to global peace and stability, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday, in its first response to recent concerns by Russia over what it described as growing military cooperation between Seoul and NATO.

"Cooperation between South Korea and NATO is aimed at strengthening each side's capabilities across various sectors, including defense industry, new technologies and cybersecurity, so as to reinforce each side's role and contribution to international peace and stability," the ministry said in a statement.

"In addition, our government continues to hold necessary communication with the Russian side to stably manage South Korea-Russia relations and protect our people and companies," it added.

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