South Korea's defense chief, top NATO official discuss defense cooperation

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu Back and head of the NATO Military Committee Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone on Tuesday discussed ways to strengthen defense and defense industry cooperation.

The meeting took place during the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual multilateral security forum that began on Monday, a Defense Ministry statement said.

Ahn expressed gratitude for NATO's commitment to security on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific, emphasizing the need for cooperation due to rising global security tensions.

Dragone agreed and expressed hope that “substantive cooperation between Korea and NATO would deepen and expand in various fields, including defense and military exchanges, information sharing, cyberspace, space, and artificial intelligence,” the statement said.

Separately, the HMS Prince of Wales, a 65,000-ton British aircraft carrier on Monday conducted aerial drills with F-35B stealth fighter jets off South Korea’s port city of Busan.

British Ambassador to South Korea Colin Crooks said: "The visit of HMS Prince of Wales to Korean waters highlights the UK's strong commitment to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, and showcases the depth of our partnership with Korea."

After the drills, joint exercises were held with three vessels from each country aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational capabilities.

The two countries marked 140 years of diplomatic ties in 2023 by upgrading their relationship to a "global strategic partnership" centered on defense and security.