WASHINGTON — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has committed to expanding its defense industrial cooperation with South Korea and other Indo-Pacific partners to counter Russia, as announced during a summit in Washington. The 32 NATO members adopted the NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge on Wednesday, aimed at enhancing the alliance's military readiness and interoperability between weapons systems to support Ukraine in its ongoing war against Russia.
According to Yonhap News Agency, NATO will increase defense spending, better coordinate production among member countries, and enforce these commitments. "We seek to enhance our defense industrial cooperation through focused dialogue with engaged partners including, among others, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea," the document stated, marking the first time NATO has named these four Indo-Pacific countries, collectively known as the IP4, as partners for defense industry cooperation in an official document.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg expressed hope for increased cooperation with South Korea to boost NATO's defense capabilities. "South Korea has an advanced defense industry. I think there's great potential to do more together," Stoltenberg said at the start of the summit on Wednesday.
South Korea's defense capabilities have drawn attention as NATO allies struggle to produce enough weapons and equipment to support Ukraine. South Korea is considered an attractive partner for NATO forces because most of its artillery shells and weapons systems are compatible with U.S. and NATO systems and are cost-effective.