By Diplomacy Journal Kayla Lee

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels on April 2, and exchanged views on ▴ ROK-NATO cooperation, ▴ major security issues such as Russo-North Korean military cooperation, and ▴ the global security situation.

Secretary General Rutte expressed his pleasure at Minister Cho's participation in the NATO Foreign Ministers' Meeting and emphasized that NATO attaches great importance to cooperation with its partners in the region, including South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, as the security of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region are intertwined.

In response, Cho said that cooperation between NATO and its partners is a useful mechanism for responding to security challenges that undermine stability in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, such as the Russo-Ukraine War, and expressed the Secretary General's support and interest in strengthening and expanding ROK-NATO cooperation.

Secretary General Rutte expressed his hope that the ROK would promote defense cooperation not only with individual NATO member states but also with NATO itself, and Minister Cho suggested that the ROK expand cooperation from what is feasible through working-level consultations.

Secretary General Rutte also appreciated the ROK's information sharing, including the briefing on Russo-North Korea military cooperation that we held at the NATO North Atlantic Council last year.

Minister Cho also asked for NATO's interest in the early completion of the establishment of the ROK-NATO information sharing channel, which has been underway since last year.

On the other hand, Cho stressed that the ongoing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea should be immediately halted, even during the end-of-war negotiations in Ukraine, and that no rewards should be given to North Korea for its misbehavior during the end-of-war process.

Secretary General Rutte agreed that Russian-North Korea military cooperation is a common security threat to Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and that close cooperation between NATO and its partners is crucial.

Cho said that South Korea will continue to work with the international community to restore peace and reconstruction in Ukraine as soon as possible, and plans to support Ukraine's reconstruction through a $2 billion medium- and long-term assistance package, following last year's $400 million in assistance.

Secretary-General Rutte expressed his deep appreciation for South Korea's support for Ukraine.