National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac (right) poses with Radmila Shekerinska, deputy secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Monday. (Yonhap) National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac (right) poses with Radmila Shekerinska, deputy secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on Monday. (Yonhap)

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac has discussed efforts to deepen South Korea’s partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, particularly in the defense industry, with a visiting deputy NATO chief, the presidential office said Tuesday.

Wi shared the need for greater cooperation during his meeting with Radmila Shekerinska, NATO’s deputy secretary-general, on Monday, noting the security in Europe and the Atlantic regions is increasingly interconnected with that of the Indo-Pacific amid the current geopolitical climate.

Shekerinska, in turn, voiced hope to strengthen the partnership with an emphasis on the defense sector, pledging NATO’s active support going forward.

Both sides also shared their assessments of the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula and the war in Ukraine and agreed to continue mutually beneficial cooperation through information sharing and other efforts.

Shekerinska was visiting Seoul to attend an international aerospace and defense trade event taking place north of Seoul this week. (Yonhap)