President Lee Jae-myung Proposes ‘Defense Partnership 2.0’ at NATO: What He Announced and Why It Matters
As the war in Ukraine drags on, NATO is facing a far more serious problem than its ability to develop advanced weapons. A new security challenge has emerged: insufficient industrial capacity to produce the shells, missiles and self-propelled artillery systems needed right now.
Against that backdrop, President Lee Jae-myung has proposed a new direction for NATO defense cooperation. His vision for a “Korea-NATO Defense Partnership 2.0” goes beyond simply selling South Korean weapons. It calls for Korea and Europe to research, develop and manufacture defense systems together.
The proposal is more than a diplomatic declaration. It has drawn considerable attention because it dovetails with the European localization strategies already being pursued by South Korean defense companies, including Hanwha Aerospace.
From Weapons Exports to an Industrial Alliance
Until now, South Korea’s defense exports have largely focused on selling completed weapons systems overseas.
Notable examples include the K9 self-propelled howitzer, the K2 main battle tank and the Chunmoo (K239) multiple-launch rocket system, all manufactured in South Korea and supplied to foreign customers.
But European countries have significantly changed their thinking since the Russia–Ukraine war.
The longer the war continues, the clearer it becomes that simply buying weapons is not enough. Countries need domestic industrial bases capable of continuing to manufacture, repair and supply spare parts even during wartime.
That is precisely the shift addressed by President Lee’s proposed “Defense Partnership 2.0.”
Its core elements are:
- Joint research and development
- Joint development
- Joint production
- Technology transfer
- Long-term industrial cooperation
- Maintenance and follow-on logistics support systems
In other words, South Korea is seeking to become not merely a country that sells weapons, but a constituent member of Europe’s defense-industrial ecosystem.
Why Make This Proposal Now?
The war in Ukraine has exposed the weaknesses of Europe’s defense industry.
From 155mm artillery shells to rocket motors, propellants, missile components and air-defense interceptors, production of nearly every critical weapons category has fallen short of wartime consumption rates.
Since the Cold War, most European countries have sharply reduced the scale of their defense industries.
South Korea, by contrast, has maintained large-scale production facilities and manufacturing capabilities because of its ongoing military tensions with North Korea.
As a result, it is widely regarded as a country capable of rapidly scaling up production.
For NATO, that makes South Korea an important partner capable of helping offset its production shortfalls.
Closely Aligned with Hanwha Aerospace’s Strategy
President Lee’s vision also closely aligns with the strategy Hanwha Aerospace is already pursuing.
Hanwha recently unveiled a new strategy built around the idea of “with Europe, for Europe.”
Rather than exporting weapons made in South Korea as before, the company plans to establish production facilities and maintenance centers in Europe.
Poland is a leading example.
As Poland moves to acquire up to 672 K9 self-propelled howitzers, the relationship is evolving beyond a simple buyer-seller transaction into industrial cooperation involving component production, maintenance and technology transfer.
Romania is likewise building H-ACE Europe, a local production facility, alongside its acquisition of K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles.
Hanwha plans to expand this production network to the Nordic countries and Western Europe in the future.
Chunmoo Missile Production Also Planned for Europe
Another development drawing attention is the Chunmoo (K239) multiple-launch rocket system.
Hanwha is currently also pursuing plans to establish a missile production facility in Poland.
The goal is not simply to sell launchers, but to create a system in which rockets and guided missiles are also produced locally in Europe.
As the number of countries operating Chunmoo systems grows, including Norway, Europe could produce and supply the necessary ammunition locally rather than importing every round from South Korea.
This is also expected to play an important role in addressing the missile and ammunition supply-chain shortages that NATO considers among its most pressing problems.
A New Role for South Korea’s Defense Industry
The proposal’s greatest significance lies in the changing role of South Korea’s defense industry.
Rather than remaining a country that exports weapons, South Korea is positioning itself as an industrial partner that will design and manufacture the weapons of the future alongside NATO.
That would move the country beyond short-term, contract-based defense exports and give it a role in joint production systems and supply chains that could remain in place for decades.
NATO has recently made expanding defense production capacity its top priority, while European countries are actively seeking cooperation that includes local manufacturing and technology transfer.
South Korea has already established strong capabilities across a range of fields, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer, the K2 tank, the Chunmoo multiple-launch rocket system, various guided weapons and aerospace technologies. Its strategic importance is therefore growing as this trend accelerates.
The Key Issues Behind the Announcement
President Lee’s NATO proposal is not simply a policy to expand South Korean defense exports.
At its core, the strategy seeks to establish South Korea as a long-term member of NATO’s defense-industrial supply chain.
The proposed approach can be summarized in three broad areas:
- Use South Korea’s large-scale production capacity to respond quickly to urgent military demand.
- Expand local production and maintenance hubs in Europe, centered on Poland and Romania.
- Build a “Korea-NATO Defense Partnership 2.0” based on joint research, joint development and joint production.
As the international security environment undergoes rapid change following the war in Ukraine, the proposal is being viewed as significant because it marks the starting point of a new strategy to establish South Korea’s defense industry not merely as a weapons exporter, but as NATO’s long-term industrial partner.
FAQ
What is President Lee’s proposed “Korea-NATO Defense Partnership 2.0”?
“Korea-NATO Defense Partnership 2.0” is a long-term defense-industrial cooperation model that goes beyond traditional weapons exports. It would involve South Korea and NATO member states working together on joint research, development, production, technology transfer, maintenance and more. The goal is to enable South Korean defense companies to participate more deeply in Europe’s defense ecosystem.
Why does NATO want to expand defense cooperation with South Korea?
As the war in Ukraine has dragged on, Europe has struggled with insufficient production capacity for critical defense supplies such as ammunition, missiles and self-propelled artillery. South Korea, meanwhile, has large-scale manufacturing capabilities and a strong record of rapid delivery, making it a key partner capable of strengthening NATO’s supply chains.
What is Hanwha Aerospace’s European localization strategy?
Under its “with Europe, for Europe” strategy, Hanwha Aerospace is building local production facilities and maintenance capabilities, particularly in Poland and Romania. Rather than simply exporting weapons, the company aims to become part of Europe’s defense supply chain by expanding local assembly, technology transfer and component production.
How will the K9 and Chunmoo programs change?
Local production and maintenance of the K9 self-propelled howitzer are expanding, particularly in Poland and Romania. Plans are also underway to establish European missile production facilities for the K239 Chunmoo. This is expected to give European operators a more reliable system for obtaining equipment and ammunition.
What does the proposal mean for South Korea’s defense industry?
The proposal signals South Korea’s ambition to move beyond the role of a weapons exporter and become a strategic industrial partner involved in NATO’s joint research and production efforts. In the long term, it could provide a stable foothold in Europe’s defense supply chains and help expand South Korea’s influence in the global defense market.
