Russian Foreign Ministry: South Korea's Cooperation with NATO is 'Unacceptable'

The Russian Foreign Ministry expressed concern over South Korea's deepening military-technical cooperation with NATO. Following a meeting between Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko and South Korean Ambassador to Moscow Lee Seok-bae, the Ministry stated that Seoul's de facto participation in NATO's rearmament process is 'unacceptable'.South Korean President Lee Jae-myung recently proposed the 'Korea-NATO Defense Industry Partnership 2.0' initiative to elevate relations with NATO to a 'new level'. This step aims to expand joint research in advanced technologies, similar to existing programs in the fields of ammunition and space.According to data from Politico, South Korea, one of the world's fastest-growing arms exporters, has risen to ninth place in the global supplier rankings.The country is also the second-largest supplier of arms to NATO member states in Europe, after the United States.